The Copts (Coptic: ⲛⲓⲣⲉⲙⲛ̀ⲭⲏⲙⲓ, romanized: niremenkhemi; Arabic: الْقِبْط‎, al-Qibṭ) are an ethnoreligious group indigenous to North Africa who have primarily inhabited the area of modern Egypt and Sudan since antiquity. Most ethnic Copts are Coptic Orthodox Christians.

What race are the Copts?

The Copts are descendants of pre-Islamic Egyptians, who spoke a late form of the Egyptian language known as Coptic. Such a descendant was identified in Greek as a Aigyptios (Arabic qibṭ, Westernized as Copt).

Are Copts heretics?

Copts suffered under the rule of the Byzantine Empire. The Melkite patriarchs, appointed by the emperors as both spiritual leaders and civil governors, massacred those Egyptians they considered heretics.

Is Coptic the same as ancient Egyptian?

The Coptic language is the final stage of the ancient Egyptian language, but it is written in the Greek alphabet, except for seven letters. The majority of Coptic words are taken from the ancient Egyptian language, with only two thousand words borrowed from Greek.

What does a cross on your wrist mean?

One of the distinctive marks of a Coptic Christian is the cross tattoo worn on the wrist. Sometimes applied as early as forty days after birth (and following baptism), the tattoo is a permanent identification marker signaling to all the faith and community belonging of the bearer. Girgis Ghobrial.

Do Coptic Christians have Christmas trees?

The main Coptic Christian traditions Just like elsewhere around the world, people decorate their homes with lights, Christmas trees and decorations.

What religion is Egyptian?

Today, the majority of the Egyptian population is Muslim, with a small minority of Jews and Christians.