Cairo: The Ministry of Culture announced on Monday, January 5, 2026, the start of developing an executive plan to activate a number of proposals aimed at preserving Coptic heritage as one of the main pillars of Egyptian identity. The plan focuses on children and youth and on building their cultural and national awareness. All efforts come as part of implementing the outcomes of a meeting between Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, and Minister of Culture Ahmed Fouad Hano held on the occasion of Christmas greetings. The proposals include launching joint cultural and artistic programs to revive Coptic arts and traditional crafts, support artisans, and showcase their products at cultural events and exhibitions organized by the ministry across all governorates.
According to State Information Service Egypt, all drives are meant to safeguard this heritage and pass it on to new generations as an authentic national legacy, while supporting handicrafts and related arts. The meeting also highlighted cultural activities organized by the Ministry of Culture inside St. Mark's Cathedral in Abbassiya, in cooperation with the Papal Office for Projects, as part of the presidential initiative 'A New Beginning for Building the Human Being' over the past year. Opened by Pope Tawadros II, these events saw wide participation and included a series of art workshops for children, involving a number of ministry sectors. Activities ranged from making medals, leatherwork, decoupage, jewelry, khayamiya, hand embroidery, weaving, and other traditional crafts.
Both sides stressed the importance of building on this success by expanding similar forums and workshops in cultural and church venues, targeting children and youth to strengthen citizenship and belonging, introduce the diverse sources of Egyptian identity-foremost among them Coptic heritage-and support arts and creativity as effective tools for expressing national unity. The two sides also discussed mechanisms to enhance joint cultural cooperation during the sixth edition of the 'Logos Youth Forum,' to be held under the patronage and attendance of Pope Tawadros II. The forum will host about 200 young men and women from the Coptic Orthodox Church from around the world for a week in Egypt, through a comprehensive program combining spiritual, cultural, and tourism activities to strengthen young generations' ties to their homeland.
In this context, the minister of culture affirmed his full support for preparing an integrated cultural program for the forum in cooperation with the Coptic Orthodox Church, emphasizing the role of such initiatives in reinforcing national identity and deepening the sense of belonging among second- and third-generation Egyptians abroad, while showcasing Egypt's civilizational image through its rich and diverse culture.