The congregation of the church of Mar-Mina in the village of al-Nekheila in Abu-Teeg, Assiut, some 350km south of Cairo, is overjoyed that the church has finally obtained a rebuilding permit from Assiut Governor Yasser al-Dessouqi. Medhat Fathy Fuad, who has been assigned by Anba Andrawos, Bishop of Abu-Teeg, to handle the licensing of the new Mar-Mina’s that will be built in place of the old 19-century church, told Watani that rebuilding is scheduled to start next week.
Mr Fuad said the church was built in 1864 over a 400sq.m piece of land, and was renovated in 1919. Over the years, however, the congregation swelled in number and the church could no longer accommodate the worshippers. The building had, moreover, visibly declined.
In August 2017, Mar-Mina’s officials succeeded in obtaining a demolition and rebuilding permit from Assiut Governor, approving the construction of a new, bigger church on 1200sq.m at the site of the demolished one.
Once the original church was demolished, however, local administrative authorities in Abu-Teeg would not allow rebuilding. It took some six months for Mr Fuad to finally obtain an explicit rebuilding permit from Assiut Governor.
The photos show the old church and a model of the new one.
Watani International
4 March 2018