"So they passed through the village against its patch of emerald water and dominated by the graceful fig-shaped minaret and the cluster of dazzling beehive domes which distinguished the Coptic church of their forefathers."
The Coptic Church was strongly influenced by the teachings of Saint Mark, who established a Christian community in Egypt shortly after Christ's ascension. This church has endured many struggles to survive, including conquest by Arabs. During this time, the Church, ironically, was stronger than ever due in large part to the influence of the Egyptian wife of Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam, who encouraged abundant kindness toward the Copts.
It also appears, however, that the Coptic Church appropriated several architectural elements of the Arab mosque, as seen in the image above depicting the Sheikh Zayet Mosque, or Grand Mosque. The quote describes an edifice strongly reminiscent of an Islamic house of worship.
Lawrence Durrell; Balthazar; E.P. Dutton & Company, Inc., New York, 1958; Page 73.
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