INTRODUCTION
Egyptian history is multifaceted, defined by succeeding and interwoven epochs. The exhibition Coptic Art Revealed sheds light on Egypt’s Coptic era in an exceptional presentation of complex concepts surrounding the then new monotheist religion. St. Mark the Evangelist is said to have established Christianity in Alexandria from where the Gospel message was spread throughout Egypt. Today, the Copts form the largest Christian community in the Middle East.
Coptic Art Revealed would not have come into being without the ambitious endeavours of Marcus Pasha Simaika who founded the Coptic Museum in 1910. The exhibition at the Palace of Amir Taz presents hidden treasures from the Coptic Museum’s storerooms as well as priceless artefacts from the museum’s permanent display. Some artefacts were borrowed from other museum collections in Egypt: the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, the Museums of Beni Suef and El Arish, the Museum of Islamic Art, the Greco-Roman Museum, National Museum and Museum of the New Library in Alexandria. Coptic Art Revealed highlights a striking feature of Coptic art: The blending of influences drawn from a multicultural milieu and its intensive exchange with the Mediterranean region while maintaining and reshaping the integrity of local artistic traditions.
More than 200 masterpieces of Coptic art are displayed on around 400m2: Colourful icons painted by the famous artists Yuhanna Al Armani, Ibrahim Al Nasikh and Anastasi Al Rumi, beautiful textiles, illuminated manuscripts from the Coptic Museum’s archives, an excerpt from the famous Nag Hammadi Library, stone and wooden friezes with intriguing designs as well as splendid metal objects and pottery, among other priceless items will give expression to important facets of the Coptic culture.
Dr. Nadja Tomoum
Exhibition Creator and Director