AUC hosted From Tomb to Text: Talks on Coptic History, a one-day international conference on Coptic archaeology that brought together leading scholars from Egypt, Europe and the United States to showcase the latest research in Coptic art history, heritage, textiles, settlement archaeology and archaeobotany. The conference was supported by the Gratus Foundation by Mary and Bishoy Azmy, founded by AUC Trustee Bishoy Emad Azmy ’02 and Mary Habib ’05.
“Coptic studies is an essential part of Egypt’s rich history and part of the tapestry that shapes the country’s great civilization,” said AUC President Ahmad Dallal. “Since its founding, AUC has served as an important entry point for people from outside the region to study and research Egypt’s history. In addition to our world-renowned Egyptology program, Coptic studies captures a rich layer of Egyptian cultural heritage. This conference creates the space for both academic and public audiences to preserve and advance the study of Coptic heritage. We are especially grateful to Trustee Bishoy Azmy and Mrs. Mary Habib, and their Gratus Foundation, whose support reflects a shared commitment to preserving and advancing the study of Coptic heritage.”
“Coptic studies is an essential part of Egypt’s rich history and part of the tapestry that shapes the country’s great civilization."
For Habib,the gift reflects a broader commitment to supporting Coptic studies at AUC. “Our vision is for AUC to remain a leading hub for Coptic studies, a place where scholars from around the world can conduct research in the field,” Habib noted. “As Egyptians, we bring a deep insight into this era, its culture and its place within Egypt’s broader timeline. That is why we want AUC to lead this effort, serving as a global center for researchers seeking to explore our rich heritage.”
Organized by AUC’s Department of Sociology, Egyptology and Anthropology on the historic Tahrir Square Campus, the conference included a distinguished lineup of international experts, including AUC Professor Emerita Fayza Haikal and Coptic Studies Chair Mennat-Allah El Dorry '05, alongside international scholars Cäcilia Fluck of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Ina Eichner of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Agnieszka E. Szymańska of the University of Richmond, Robert Mahler of the University of Warsaw, Ahmed Nakshara of Ain Shams University, and Dina Bakhoum of the Institut Français d'Archéologie Orientale. They addressed a wide range of critical topics in Coptic history, including visual culture, textiles, food and language evolution, funerary archaeology, heritage conservation, daily life, and recent archaeological discoveries in Late Antique Egypt.
“Our vision is for AUC to remain a leading hub for Coptic studies, a place where scholars from around the world can conduct research in the field,”
“Coptic studies is an integral part of the fabric of Egyptian history, and AUC already reflects this through its Coptic studies minor, Coptology master’s track and Core Curriculum courses,” said El Dorry, assistant professor in the Department of Sociology, Egyptology and Anthropology and chair of Coptic Studies at AUC. “This conference brings together local and international experts to explore Coptic research through art history and archaeology, while raising awareness of AUC’s work and opening new opportunities for collaboration and future research.”
Coptic studies at AUC extends well beyond the conference. The University offers a minor in Coptic studies and a Master of Arts in Egyptology and Coptology, with an interdisciplinary curriculum that examines the Coptic period through history, political science, religion, literature and art history. Studying in Egypt also gives students direct access to the monuments, archaeological sites and artifacts that are central to the study of the Coptic period.
“This conference brings together local and international experts to explore Coptic research through art history and archaeology, while raising awareness of AUC’s work and opening new opportunities for collaboration and future research.”
In addition, AUC Libraries, particularly the Rare Books and Special Collections Library, provide essential academic backing for Coptic studies at the University. The library's key Coptic holdings include the Ramses Wissa Wassef digital collection, which highlights Coptic art, and the landmark Iryan Moftah and Ragheb Moftah collections, which document Coptic language, music and liturgical traditions.
Photo caption: Maurice A. Pomerantz, professor and dean of the School of Humaniites and Social Sciences, and Mennat-Allah El Dorry '05, assistant professor of Egyptology and chair of Coptic studies, with the panelists
Stephen Urgola is AUC’s University archivist, director of AUC records management and interim associate dean of the Rare Books and Special Collections Library. He began his archival career as a work-study student and later earned a master’s degree in history and a certificate in archives from New York University. AUC’s archives have been his home for 25 years. He enjoys street photography and going on walks through historic areas of Cairo.
What drives you?
There's a saying: You die twice. You die when you physically die, and you die the last time your name is uttered. Working in archives and oral history keeps people’s memories alive and prevents that second death. It’s very painful when someone passes away before we’ve had the chance to interview them. That’s a tough part of the job.
What do you find yourself thinking about the most?
I often think about the challenges we face in preserving heritage, from archives to historical buildings, in Egypt and worldwide. Heritage is under financial, environmental and technological pressure. Plus there is so much digital content to deal with and imperfect means of capturing it.
What is the biggest decision you have made?
Coming to Egypt and AUC — it made such a difference in terms of the people I've had the chance to interact with (Cairo is the biggest small town in the world; everybody’s connected), the places I have seen and the historical collections I've worked with. It also led to meeting my wife, Helen Rizzo [associate professor of sociology and director of the Cynthia Nelson Institute for Gender and Women’s Studies at AUC]!
What advice would you give your younger self?
I'd tell my college self to spend a year studying abroad — maybe even at AUC.
How do you want to be remembered?
As someone who played a part in preserving and promoting the heritage of places that matter to me: Egypt, Cairo and AUC.
For the first time, AUC’s New Cairo campus hosted Artozium, a three-week public arts festival held in the summer of 2026, featuring free concerts and plays, film screenings, art workshops and exhibitions.
The festival’s name is a portmanteau of “art” and “symposium,” with the “z” emphasizing its focus on developing Gen Z artists and creatives. “We merged the five programs in our department — graphic design, visual arts, film, music and theatre — into one big project,” said Wael El Mahallawy, music professor, chair of the Department of the Arts and general manager of Artozium.
Cairo’s historic art scene is centered downtown, and with more people moving to New Cairo, Artozium aimed to make AUC’s campus a hub for an emerging arts scene east of the Nile, explained El Mahallawy. “Artozium covers not only New Cairo but also the New Capital and Al Shorouk,” he said. “There are very few theaters, exhibition venues or galleries in this area.”
The festival brought together collaborations with cornerstones of Cairo’s art scene, including film shorts shown at the renowned Zawya Cinema, screenings from the Manassat Film Festival, a performance by the Cairo Arab Choir, and performances by the Reda Egyptian Folklore Dance Troupe and the all-women Egyptian drum band Tablet Elsitt.
Attendees also experimented with their creative talents through workshops on ceramics, filmmaking and puppetry, taught by AUC faculty and professionals in the field. Actor Tarek El-Ebiary ’12 presented an interactive standup comedy show, while drummer Mostafa Abbas led a percussion performance.
The festival also showcased visual art through A Title Resembling an Unstable Image, an exhibition curated by artist Ahmed Shawky Hassan that featured emerging artists exploring the city as a living structure.
Artozium turned the spotlight on AUC’s own artistic community too. Mashrou’ 26 showcased the creativity of the University’s 12th and largest graduating class in graphic design. Alumni performed in Gat Salima and El Masyada, while undergraduate students featured in Hekaya Bel Maqloub play. The Theatre Association performed Neseet El Cheque, and student organizations Musicana and the AUC Egyptian Folklore Troupe brought music and traditional dances to the festival, further showcasing the breadth of the University’s artistic community.
