Egipto - La Virgen de Zeitun

Zeitun · El Cairo · Egipto · 1968–1971

The most photographed apparition in history

In the morning of 2 April 1968, workers of a workshop near the Coptic Church of Our Lady of Zeitun (Zeitun district, Cairo) saw on the top of the church a luminous figure of women, who played as the Virgin Mary. One of them shouted "Fire!" because he thought the glowing figure was burning. In short, a crowd gathered.

The apparitions were repeated during 3 years (1968-1971), most often in the first months. They were seen by hundreds of thousands of people: Catholics, Copts, Muslims, Jews, atheists. They were photographed and filmed. The own President Nasser, which was a Muslim, he ordered to investigate the phenomenon and the government researchers confirmed that there was no explanation for traction or projection.

The description of the apparition

The luminous figure appeared on the domes of the church: a silhouette of women dressed in bright white, usually accompanied by doves of light and olive branches. Sometimes he remained still for hours; sometimes he moved and made gestures of blessing. The figure was visible hundreds of meters away.

The investigation

Pope Copto Cirilo VI It immediately set up a commission of inquiry. On 4 May 1968, a few weeks after the first apparition, he officially declared the phenomena to be authentic. The Roman Catholic bishopric of Cairo also recognized the phenomena.

The doctors and physicists who investigated the case ruled out light projections, holograms (which did not exist in 1968) and any technical structure. The photos show a luminous figure on the dome that has no known technical explanation.

The tradition of Zeitun

The church of Zeitun is built on the place where, according to tradition, the Holy Family rested during her flight to Egypt (Matthew 2: 13-15). The Coptic tradition venerates Egypt as the host land of the Holy Family. Zeitun's apparitions were interpreted as the return of the Virgin to the place where she was with the Child Jesus.