The Church of St. Mark in Alexandria is the oldest church in Egypt and Africa, dating back to the first century. It was built at the place of the house of St. Anianus who was the first to believe in Christ by St. Mark s preaching. It also contains about 55 of the first patriarchs of the Coptic Church.
Father Abram Emil, Priest of St. Mark s Cathedral in Alexandria explained in his article The Church of St. Mark in Alexandria that the building experienced several stages started with the first century till the current building which was established in 1870 during the reign of Pope Demetrius II and was renovated in 1952 during the reign of Pope Youssef II, where large parts of it were demolished and rebuilt again.
Then, there was an expansion process during the reign of Pope Shenouda III in 1990, and the latest renovation was in 2020 after the terrorist attack 2017 after most of the worshipers left the church after the Palm Sunday prayer. The latest renovation kept the architecture design of the building and restored the ancient Byzantine of the icon holder.
We pray that God saves us from the epidemic and reopens the churches again for his people with the blessing of the Virgin Mary and St. Mark.
