Coptic Era

Christianity entered Egypt in the half of the first century A.D. When Saint Mark entered Alexandria in 65 A.D., the first Coptic Church was established in Egypt. At the end of the third century A.D., the Roman emperor Diocletian suppressed the Copts and many of them fell martyrs, hence the period was called Era of Martyrs. The year in which Diocletian assumed power (284 A.D.) was taken by the Copts as the beginning of the Coptic calendar.

The Coptic architecture flourished in this period where the churches, established in the fifth century A.D. were a model of the Coptic art and architecture.

As the ancient Egyptians knew music, the Copts composed melodies similar to that of the ancient Egyptians and up till now melodies in the Coptic Church still have their Pharaonic names as Singari and Itribini.