Earlier this month, near the Upper Egypt city of Assiut, tens of thousands of worshippers from the country’s Coptic Christian minority gathered to commemorate the Virgin Mary’s life and assumption into heaven. At the same time, attendees grieved for the 41 Copts, 18 of them children, who perished during last week’s heat wave-related fire inside a packed Giza church. Cairo photographer Hamada Elrasam tells their story.
Egypt's Coptic Christians Mark Feast in Wake of Tragedy
1
A Muslim neighbor of the Giza’s Abu Sefein Church community, west of Cairo, shares a snapshot of the deadly fire, which witnesses and authorities trace back to an electrical failure in an air conditioning unit deep within the multistorey building. On Augu
2
“For me, whether you’re Muslim or Christian, there’s no difference—we grew up together, eating from the same plate,” says 17-year-old Yousef, a Muslim neighbor who joined community-led fire fighting and evacuation efforts. On August 19, 2022. (Hamada Elra
![According to the International Monetary Fund, “Over the past three decades, temperatures in [the MENA region have risen by] twice the global increase of 0.7 degrees Celsius,” which has been “particularly harmful for countries that are already hot.” Near A](https://gdb.voanews.com/01630000-0aff-0242-31f8-08da85281983_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
3
According to the International Monetary Fund, “Over the past three decades, temperatures in [the MENA region have risen by] twice the global increase of 0.7 degrees Celsius,” which has been “particularly harmful for countries that are already hot.” Near A
4
Each August in the sweltering desert heat, worshippers visit the Virgin Mary Monastery, an ancient mountain cave along the River Nile, where they believe the Holy Family found refuge from persecution. On August 20, 2022. (Hamada Elrasam/VOA)
