| Coptic Christians are a religious minority in Egypt accounting for 9% of country’s population. Coptic church existing since 1st century AD has survived centuries of Roman, Byzantine, Persian, Arab, and Turkish rule and today is the largest traditional Christian community in the Middle East. Separated from the churches of the West, Coptic Orthodox Church has preserved Christianity and its rituals in their rather ancient form. Copts and Muslims have for centuries lived side by side and today it is hard to say what, apart from their religion, makes Copts different from Egyptian Muslims. Despite the high integration of Copts into Egyptian society, concerns are often raised over human rights issues, and Coptic communities have on several occasions been targeted by extremist groups. |
