The term “Coptic Period” is utilized in popular discourse. It is use in academia is normally avoided due to its imprecise nature. The period can be defined as “Late Antiquity” or “Byzantine Egypt” on chronological grounds. We follow it separated as period to explore the still (in 2021) existing religion.

The Egyptian Christians, called Copts, maintained many ancient forms of worship and mixed pagan traditions of ancient Egypt, including music and incense, with the new Christian religion. Historic items related to Coptic Christianity are on display in many museums around the world.

The history of the Copts is part of history of Egypt that begins in the 1stcentury in Egypt during the Roman period. Coptic simply means Egyptian. When we talk about the Copts, we are talking about the Egyptians. It started with the advent of Christianity. The religion came to Egypt early in the first century in the form of the evangelist Mark. Having been repressed under Roman rule for so long, the Egyptians responded well to a religion that promised paradise in the hereafter. This era was defined by the religious shifts in Egyptian culture to Coptic Christianity, from ancient Egyptian religion, until the Muslim conquest of Egypt in the 7th century. During the Coptic Period, Christians, Jews, and pagans lived together in mostly peaceful coexistence.

Alexandria became the center of Christian theology and thought from the second century on. In the year 312, Christianity was allowed in the Roman Empire. Egypt was part of the Eastern Roman Empire, that later became the Byzantine Empire. Constantine had given freedom to this religion and favored it, by financing the construction of large churches. Christianity spread rapidly across the Roman Empire.

Constantinople was usually hostile to the Coptic subjects and persecution of the Copts, with the aim to tracing them back to the Orthodox Church. In response, the Coptic Church became a national church with very distinct liturgical, theological, and spiritual characteristics. They began to operate independently of the Byzantine Church. The Council of Chalcedon in 451 ruled over the Coptic Church, which was rejected by the Copts, eventually they seceded from the Patriarchate of Alexandria, an extension of Constantinople. The Eastern Orthodox Church lost all members in Egypt as a result. Greek, the language of the Byzantine “oppressors” was even rejected. The then Egyptian vernacular was adopted as the ecclesiastical language and developed into modern Coptic.

With the arrival of the Muslims, a time of regular oppression began. Christianity went from the most dominant religion to a minority religion. It is estimated that in 2021, 17% of the population in Egypt are Copts.