Coptic Christianity served as a link between the pharaonic and Islamic eras, leaving its own mark on modern Egypt. Coptic art incorporates the influences of the pharaonic and Hellenistic cultures. The Coptic cross refers back to the ankh, the hieroglyphic sign for “life,” as well as to the crucifix on Golgotha. Embroidered tapestries and curtains displaying nymphs and centaurs owe their heritage to Greco-Roman mythology. Islamic art often borrows from the Coptic style; many of Cairo’s mosques were engineered by Coptic architects, and a number of mosques are converted Coptic churches. Unlike the monumental art of the pharaohs, the art of the Copts tends to be a more popular folk medium.

Coptic churches usually have one of three shapes: cross-shaped, circular (to represent the globe, the spread of Christianity, and the eternal nature of the Word), or ark-shaped (the Ark of the Covenant and Noah’s Ark are symbols of salvation). The churches are divided into three chambers. The eastward sanctuary (haikal) containing the alter lies behind a curtain or iconostasis, a wooden screen of icons. The next chamber, the choir, is the section reserved for Copts. Behind the choir is the nave, which consists of two parts, the first of which is reserved for the catechumens (those who are preparing to convert). The back of the nave is for the so-called weepers, or sinners.