شواهد القبور القبطية بين القرنين الرابع و السابع الميلاديين

Abstract EN

The effect of funerary practices of ancient Egypt on the Copts was clearly evidenced through their burial and mummification traditions, particularly in the early era, as they showed distinguished advance in dealing with the corpse especially in the cemeteries of Upper Egypt.

Among the funeral practices the Copts have preserved is the erection of stelae above tombs.

Each includes an epitaph of the deceased in the form of an inscription or a personal picture depicting him in various positions, either sitting, lying, or standing.

Other inscriptions showed symbolic signs; each of which reflected the hope of the deceased to gain paradise.

Coptic heritage left a huge amount of stelae coming from every region in Egypt, some of which are available in the Coptic museum, while others decorate the most important museums all over the world.

In this study, we will try to cast light on the most important of those stelae in the period that followed the formal declaration of Christianity.

We will also try to examine the differences between them depending on the spatial and temporal context in which these stelae appeared.