Coptic period

Jesus Christ in a Coptic icon.

The "Coptic period" is an informal designation for Late Antiquity in Egypt, an era defined by the religious shifts in Egyptian culture to Coptic Christianity from paganism until the Muslim conquest of Egypt. It began in about the 3rd century, and depending on sources and usage, lasted until either around the noticeable decline of Christianity in Egypt, in the 9th century,^[1][2] or to the arrival of Islam in the 7th century.^[3] Although the term is widely utilized in popular discourse, its use in academia is generally avoided due to its imprecise nature, where as "Late Antiquity" or "Byzantine Egypt" can be defined on chronological grounds.

The Coptic Orthodox form of Christianity, still has many followers in its country of origin.

References

1. ^ "Ancient Egypt: The Coptic period". http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/article_index/a/ancient_egypt_the_coptic_peri.aspx. Retrieved 2011-11-12. 
2. ^ "Coptic Period" (pdf). http://www.art-museum.unimelb.edu.au/frameworkresources.ashx/Exhibitions_Downloads/175/FileName/A101A5EBBFB6E17CED830FA9B932AF37/coptic_period_panel.pdf. Retrieved 2011-11-12. 
3. ^ Raven, Dr. Maarten, Egyptologist ^{[who?][where?][citation needed]}