Egypt Church Records

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Egypt

Church Records

For information about records for non-Christian religions in Egypt, go to the Religious Records page.

Online Resources and Websites

• 1876-1883 Latvia, Daugavpils, Eģipte, church records, 1876-1883(*); National Archives. Rīga (Latvia) at FamilySearch Catalog-images
• 1940-1959 Kirchenbuch, 1940-1959(*); Evangelische Kirche Cairo (Egypt) at FamilySearch Catalog-images
• British Armed Forces and Overseas Births and Baptisms, Egypt, index & images ($)
• British Armed Forces and Overseas Births and Baptisms, Africa at Findmypast - index & images ($)
• British Armed Forces and Overseas Banns and Marriages, Egypt , index & images ($)
• British Armed Forces and Overseas Banns and Marriages, Africa at Findmypast - index & images ($)
• British Armed Forces and Overseas Deaths and Burials at Findmypast - index & images ($)
• Goshenhoppen Reformed Charge church record,(*); Hinke, William John, 1871-1947 at FamilySearch Catalog-images

See Digital Copies of Church Records in the FamilySearch Catalog below. Greek Orthodox records in particular are available digitally following those instructions.

Armenian Apostolic Church

• 1843-1981 Parish registers, 1843-1981(*); Armenian Apostolic Church. Surp Boghos ew Bedros (Alexandria, Egypt) at FamilySearch Catalog-images
• 1864-1893 Parish registers, 1864-1893(*); Armenian Apostolic Church. Surp Astvadzadzin (Zagazig, Egypt) at FamilySearch Catalog-images
• 1893-1981 Parish registers, 1893-1981(*); Armenian Apostolic Church. Surp Krikor Loossavorich (Cairo) at FamilySearch Catalog-images

Armenian Catholic Church

• 1736-1981 Parish registers, 1736-1981(*); Armenian Catholic Church. Immaculate Conception (Cairo) at FamilySearch Catalog-images
• 1845-1982 Parish registers, 1845-1982(*); Armenian Catholic Church (Alexandria, Egypt) at FamilySearch Catalog-images

Armenian Evangelical Congregational Church

• 1889-1981 Parish registers, 1889-1981(*); Armenian Evangelical Congregational Church (Cairo, Egypt) at FamilySearch Catalog-images
• 1905-1981 Parish registers, 1905-1981(*); Armenian Evangelical Church (Alexandria, Egypt) at FamilySearch Catalog-images

Chaldean Catholic Church

• 1885-1986 Church records, 1885-1986(*); Chaldean Catholic Church (Alexandria, Egypt) at FamilySearch Catalog-images

Church of England

• 1841-1859 Parish registers, 1841-1859(*); Church of England in Egypt. Anglican Chaplaincy (Alexandria) at FamilySearch Catalog-images

Coptic Catholic Church

• 1821-1987 Church records, 1821-1987(*); Coptic Catholic Church. Cairo Patriarchate at FamilySearch Catalog-images

Greek Catholic Church

• 1774-1986 Church records, 1774-1986(*); Greek Catholic Church (Cairo, Egypt) at FamilySearch Catalog-images
• 1797-1949 Church records, 1797-1949(*); Greek Catholic Church (Dumyāţ Egypt) at FamilySearch Catalog-images
• 1802-1806 Church records, 1802-1806(*); Greek Catholic Church (Rashīd, Egypt) at FamilySearch Catalog-images
• 1837-1987 Church records, 1837-1987(*); Greek Catholic Church (Alexandria, Egypt) at FamilySearch Catalog-images
• 1854-1986 Church records, 1854-1986(*); Greek Catholic Church (Al Manşūrah, Egypt) at FamilySearch Catalog-images
• 1856-1888 Church records, 1856-1888(*); Greek Catholic Church (Samannūd, Egypt) at FamilySearch Catalog-images
• 1870-1947 Church records, 1870-1947(*); Greek Catholic Church (Al Maḩallah al Kubrá, Egypt) at FamilySearch Catalog-images
• 1870-1986 Church records, 1870-1986(*); Greek Catholic Church (Port Said, Egypt) at FamilySearch Catalog-images
• 1877-1987 Church records, 1877-1987(*); Greek Catholic Church (Ţanţā, Egypt) at FamilySearch Catalog-images
• 1881-1907 Church records, 1881-1907(*); Greek Catholic Church (Ziftá, Egypt) at FamilySearch Catalog-images
• 1900-1953 Church records, 1900-1953(*); Greek Catholic Church (Ḩulwān, Egypt) at FamilySearch Catalog-images

Roman Catholic Church

• 1611-1907 Church records, 1611-1907(*); Roman Catholic Church. Church of the Assumption (Cairo) at FamilySearch Catalog-images
• I primi copti cattolici, by Missione Francescana dell'Alto Egitto. Cairo, Egypt:Edizioni del Centro Francescano di Studi Orientali Cristiani, 1958. FS Catalog book 962 K2pc; Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library

United Arab Republican

• 1841-1859 Alexandria, Al Iskandariyah, United Arab Republican parish register printouts, christening, 1841-1859,(*); Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Genealogical Department at FamilySearch Catalog-images
• 1841-1859 Alexandria, Al Iskandariyah, United Arab Republican parish register printouts, marriages, 1841-1859,(*); Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Genealogical Department at FamilySearch Catalog-images

Historical Background

Of the Christian population in Egypt, over 90% belong to the native Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, an Oriental Orthodox Christian Church. Other native Egyptian Christians are adherents of the Coptic Catholic Church, the Evangelical Church of Egypt and various other Protestant denominations. Non-native Christian communities are largely found in the urban regions of Cairo and Alexandria, such as the Syro-Lebanese, who belong to Greek Catholic, Greek Orthodox, and Maronite Catholic denominations.

Ethnic Greeks also made up a large Greek Orthodox population in the past. Likewise, Armenians made up the then larger Armenian Orthodox and Catholic communities. Egypt also used to have a large Roman Catholic community, largely made up of Italians and Maltese. These non-native communities were much larger in Egypt before the Nasser regime and the nationalization that took place.

Non-native Christian communities are largely found in the urban regions of Alexandria and Cairo, and are members of the Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria, the Melkite Greek Catholic Church, the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Latin Catholic Church, the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East, the Maronite Church, the Armenian Catholic Church, the Chaldean Catholic Church, the Syriac Catholic Church, or the Syriac Orthodox Church.

Information Recorded in the Records

Different denominations, different time periods, and practices of different record keepers will effect how much information can be found in the records. This outline will show the types of details which might be found (best case scenario):

Baptisms

In Catholic and Anglican records, children were usually baptized a few days after birth, and therefore, the baptism record proves date of birth. Other religions, such as Baptists, baptized at other points in the member's life. Baptism registers might give:

baptism date the infant's name parents' names father's occupation

status of legitimacy occasionally, names of grandparents names of witnesses or godparents, who may be relatives

birth date and place the family's place of residence death information, as an added note or signified by a cross

Marriages

Marriage registers can give:

the marriage date the names of the bride and groom indicate whether the bride and groom were single or widowed their ages

birth dates and places for the bride and groom their residences their occupations

birthplaces of the bride and groom parents' names (after 1800) the names of previous spouses and their death dates names of witnesses, who might be relatives.

Burials

Burial registers may give:

the name of the deceased the date and place of death or burial the deceased's age place of residence

cause of death the names of survivors, especially a widow or widower deceased's birth date and place parents' names, or at least the father's name

How to Find Records

Various church records including Orthodox and Coptic church records are available in archives across Egypt. These include births, marriages, and deaths, and span from the 1600s or earlier to the present. They document the local population and Europeans.

Digital Copies of Church Records in the FamilySearch Catalog

Watch for digitized copies of church records to be added to the collection of the FamilySearch Library. Some records might have viewing restrictions, and can only be viewed at a FamilySearch Center near you, and/or by members of supporting organizations. To find records:

a. Click on the records of Egypt.

b. Click on Places within Egypt and a list of towns will appear.

c. Click on your town if it appears, or the location which you believe was the parish which served your town or village.

d. Click on the "Church records" topic. Click on the blue links to specific record titles.

e. Some combination of these icons will appear at the far right of the listing for the record. . The magnifying glass indicates that the record is indexed. Clicking on the magnifying glass will take you to the index. Clicking on the camera will take you to an online digital copy of the records.

Writing for Records

You will probably need to write to or email the national archives, the diocese, or local parish priests to find records. See Letter Writing Guide for Genealogy for help with composing letters.

Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria

222 Ramsis, El-Abaseya, St,

Cairo Governorate, Egypt

• Website
• Email: info@copticorthodox.church
  

Christian churches in Egypt (Google Maps) Notice that there are many more churches listed in the left drop-down list than there are icons on the visual map.

Catholic Church Records

Jurisdictions of the Coptic Catholic Church

Writing to a Local Parish

Earlier records can be held at the diocese, with more recent records still kept in the local parish. To locate the mailing address or e-mail address for a diocese or local parish, consult:

• The Catholic Directory: Egypt

Historical Background

The Catholic Church in Egypt is considerably small as compared to the rest of the Christian population in Egypt, which is a significant minority among (mainly Sunni) Muslims. The Catholic population in Egypt is said to have begun during the British control of Egypt. However, many returned to Europe after the 1952 Revolution in Egypt, which also caused the overthrow and exile of King Farouk of Egypt. Catholics in Egypt belong to seven distinct ritual Particular Churches sui iuris, the largest being the Coptic Catholic Church, led by its Patriarch of Alexandria.

The majority of the Christians in Egypt are members of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria. The number of Catholics (less than 200,000) in Egypt makes up much less than 1% of the total Egyptian population, which is roughly 75 million people. Many of Egypt's Latin Catholics are of Italian or Maltese descent, while Egypt's Melkite Greek Catholics and Maronite Catholics are predominantly of Syro-Lebanese descent.

Catholic Church Archdiocese

Dioceses and Archdiocese of the Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria and of All Africa

Archdiocese included in Egypt:

• Archdiocese of Cyrene
• Archdiocese of Ptolemais
• 1 - Archdiocese of Alexandria
• 2 - Archdiocese of Pilousion
• 3 - Archdiocese of Lentopolis
• 4 - Archdiocese of Memphis
• * Archdiocese of Ermoupolis; jurisdiction over the Arabic-speaking Orthodox Christians of Egypt

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