“Habibi come to magyarország!”

The Coptic orthodox community in Hungary

(2024-, ongoing project)

“Habibi, come to Magyarország!” shouts one of the boys at the closing day of the summer camp in the yard on the compound of the Coptic church in the 18th district of Budapest. Budapest and Hugnary is now part of the long history of the Coptic Church. Coptic Christians trace their origins back to St Mark the Evangelist. They had been in majority in their country, Egypt, up to the Arab conquest. Today they make up around 10 million people, about 10 per cent of the country’s population, and are the largest and, unfortunately, one of the most persecuted Christian communities in the Middle East. The first Copts arrived to Hungary during communism, and now there are between 500 and 600 of them in the country. Their large numbers have made an organised church presence necessary. In 2004, the former Coptic Pope Shenouda sent Father Youssef to Hungary. In 2011, Shenouda was also present at the consecration of their church in southeast Budapest. Nowadays, through the government-funded scholarships for persecuted Christians, many young people come here every year to study. Despite speaking multiple languages in the diaspora, Arabic, English and Hungarian as well, Copts form a uniquely strong community here attracting the attention of many in the majority society as well.