Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral (Azbakeya)
Encyclopedia
Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in Azbakeya
Azbakeya
Azbakeya is one of the districts of Cairo, Egypt in the centre of Cairo, and contains many historically important establishments.One of these is the Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral , which was inaugurated by Pope Mark VIII in 1800. and served as the seat of the Coptic Pope in Cairo from...

, Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...

 was the seat of the Coptic Pope from 1800 to 1971.

Due to Ibrahim El-Gohary
Ibrahim El-Gohary
Ibrahim El-Gohary is a famous Copt who was Egypt's prime minister during the second half of the 18th century.-Biography:Ibrahim El-Gohary was born to poor Coptic parents in Qalyub. His father, Youssef El-Gohary, made clothes for living. As a young child, Ibrahim excelled in writing and arithmetic...

's influential position in the government and his great favor to the Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...

 rulers, he was able to issue fatwas that permitted the Copts to rebuild the destroyed churches and monasteries
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...

.

This was of particular importance because the Copts were not allowed to build new churches or to repair old ones unless they got official government approval, which was rarely granted.

One of these churches that he built is Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in Azbakeya in Cairo, that his brother completed and inaugurated by Pope Mark VIII
Pope Mark VIII of Alexandria
Pope Mark VIII of Alexandria was the Coptic Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark .He became a monk in the Monastery of Saint Anthony...

 in 1800.

Ibrahim El-Gohary also donated many endowment of good land and money for the reconstruction, that amounted to 238 endowments as documented in the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate.

Seat of the Coptic Orthodox Pope of Alexandria

The cathedral served as the Seat of the Coptic Orthodox Pope of Alexandria
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 St. Mark, as the Coptic Pope is the successor of St. Mark....

between 1800 and 1971.
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