Saint Mary Coptic Orthodox Church in Haret el-Roum () or the Church of the Virgin of Relief ( ar, كنيسة العذراء المغيثة, Kanīsat al-ʿAdhrāʾ al-Mughītha) is a
Coptic Orthodox church in al-Ghūrīya,
Cairo
Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metr ...
near the Convent of Saint Theodore.
From 1660 to 1800 the church was the
Seat of the Coptic Orthodox Pope of Alexandria
The Seat of the Coptic Orthodox Pope of Alexandria is historically based in Alexandria, Egypt. It is commonly known as the Holy See of Saint Mark, to whom the Coptic Pope claims to be the legitimate successor.
Ruling powers moved away from Alexand ...
. In 1660
Pope Matthew IV of Alexandria
Pope Matthew IV of Alexandria (Anba Matta El-Meeri), 102nd Pope of Alexandria & Patriarch of the See of St. Mark.
A monk
He was originally from Meer, hence the name Elmeeri, and joined the Paromeos Monastery in the Nitrian Desert before bec ...
transferred the seat from
Ḥārat Zūwayla to Ḥārat al-Rūm,
St Mina
where it remained until 1800 when Pope Mark VIII transferred the patriarchal seat to Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral, Azbakeya.
Importance
Saint Mary Church grew in importance as the centre of the Coptic Church. Several Coptic Popes are buried in the church.
History
The church was rebuilt several times, and in 1794 Ibrahim El-Gohary
Ibrahim El-Gohary (, ar, إبراهيم الجوهري, died 31 May 1795) was Egypt's chief scribe and prime minister during the second half of the 18th century.
Biography
Ibrahim El-Gohary was born to poor Coptic Christian parents in Qalyub. His ...
renovated the church. It was damaged by fire during the reign of Pope Mark VIII (1797–1809) but was restored and rebuilt.
See also
* Christian Egypt
*List of Coptic Orthodox churches in Egypt
The Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria is the official name for the largest Christian church in Egypt. The Church belongs to the Oriental Orthodox family of churches, since the Council of Chalcedon in AD 451. This church was established by Sa ...
References
Coptic Orthodox churches in Cairo
Coptic history
Coptic architecture
Oriental Orthodox congregations established in the 17th century
10th-century establishments in the Fatimid Caliphate
10th-century churches in Egypt
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