Exploring Egypt through culture and creativity (photo gallery)
Northeast Ohio Christian Egyptians share their history, (and their food!) for an annual cultural festival at Sts. Peter and George Coptic Orthodox Church in Westlake.
Church and community members peruse the handmade goods for sale. That large Egyptian vase in the middle of the photo was priced at only $26. Credit: Gennifer Harding-Gosnell / Signal Cleveland
Members of the Christian Egyptian community from around Northeast Ohio gathered last weekend at the Sts. Peter and George Coptic Orthodox Church in Westlake to celebrate their rich culture. The Egyptian festival featured ethnic music and food, an oral history of Egypt’s religious background, henna tattoos, face painting, and bounce houses for the kids.
Coptic was the primary language of Egypt prior to the arrival of Arabs to the region, spoken from the 5th century to around the 1400s, when language use shifted to mostly Arabic. Coptic is still the language used in the Egyptian Christian Orthodox Church hymns and prayers.
Christian and Egyptian goods for sale. Credit: Gennifer Harding-Gosnell / Signal ClevelandChurch member Rania Dabboura applies face paint to one of the smaller attendees at the festival. Credit: Gennifer Harding-Gosnell / Signal ClevelandHenna artist Anna Soryal shows off her most recent tattoo. Credit: Gennifer Harding-Gosnell / Signal ClevelandThe menu featured grilled chicken, kofta, moussaka, macarona bechamel and lamb shank as main meal items. Credit: Gennifer Harding-Gosnell / Signal ClevelandA lamb shank platter with Egyptian rice.
Credit: Gennifer Harding-Gosnell / Signal ClevelandJust a small taste of the available desserts at the Egyptian festival. Reporter’s Note: There’s also baklava layered with cream in the middle. Yes, you did just read that correctly, “baklava layered with cream.” Take all the time you need with that. Credit: Gennifer Harding-Gosnell / Signal ClevelandTurkish coffee is served like a shot but you can’t drink it like one; the coffee grounds sit in the bottom of the cup. It will keep you awake. Wrote this at 4 a.m., but I’m not jittery, just alive and alert. Credit: Gennifer Harding-Gosnell / Signal ClevelandInside the church, festival attendees received a lesson on Egypt’s religious history, including the role religion played in the construction of the pyramids. Credit: Gennifer Harding-Gosnell / Signal ClevelandVisitors to the festival who are not part of the Egyptian church or community, like Barbara Hughley (right) and her friend Starlene, came to take in the atmosphere and enjoy the food. Credit: Gennifer Harding-Gosnell / Signal ClevelandAmir Naruz of Westlake has worked as a tour guide in Egypt and is proud to show off his heritage at the festival. Credit: Gennifer Harding-Gosnell / Signal ClevelandThe Rickman family post-dessert: (left to right) Halie, Eliza, David, Ashley, and Eloise. Bounce houses and basketballs kept the kids busy. Credit: Gennifer Harding-Gosnell / Signal ClevelandMarmar el-Awaidy (left) and Clara Nageeb (right) are in charge of cold drinks at the festival: sobia, karkade, and lemonade brewed with mint. Credit: Gennifer Harding-Gosnell / Signal ClevelandHenna artist Anna Soryal working on a tattoo design for a festival attendee. Credit: Gennifer Harding-Gosnell / Signal Cleveland
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