Friday 26 July 2013

Press Release: The Second International Coptic Symposium draws to a close at the iconic St Mary-le-Bow Church in London

Press Release
For immediate use
26 July 2013

Coptic Orthodox Church UK
Media and Communications Office

Coptic Orthodox Church (Europe)
Media and Communications Office


The Second International Coptic Symposium drew to a close with the final lectures and reception at the iconic St Mary-le-Bow Church in London on 24 July 2013.



The closing ceremony was attended by His Excellency the Ambassador of Egypt and the Consul General, as well as numerous other official guests representing Her Majesty’s government, House of Lords, ecumenical and inter-religious leaders, members of the diplomatic core and academics.

'Adaptation, Assimilation and Representation', the theme of the Symposium held at the Coptic Orthodox Church Centre from 21 to 24 July 2013, attracted 25 academic speakers from 10 countries around the world, including: researchers, historians, cultural heritage specialists, art historians, linguists and political sociologists to present a diverse and broad perspective on various aspects of Coptic Culture.

His Grace Bishop Angaelos, General Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the United Kingdom, who gave a final address at the closing ceremony, said:
In this and similar Symposia, we are reminded of the wealth and heritage that is the foundation of Coptic culture as lived today in Egypt and throughout the world. Having our closing ceremony at St Mary-le-Bow Church further illustrates the integration of centuries’ old Coptic culture embedded within a very real and lived contemporary British context.
The conference organiser Dr Mariam Ayad, Associate Professor of Egyptology at the American University in Cairo, said:
The vision behind this series of Symposia is to make academic scholarship more accessible to members of the community so that we can learn about and appreciate our past and our heritage. The breadth and depth of the topics presented this year, dealing with art, music, language, religious practice, and aspects of social history, illustrates the diversity and beauty of our heritage.  So this is an opportunity for us to look to our past, informing our present.
Lectures will be gathered and published in due course. The publication from the first Symposium can be found here

*Ends*