The Church of el-Mu'allaqa, photographed by G. Lekegian in the late nineteenth century, illustrates the use of Islamic forms and motifs within a Christian context. The dialogue between Islamic and Coptic styles stretches back at least to the architecture of the Fatimids, who appropriated decorative and structural elements of Coptic architecture into their compositions.
Sources:
Hondelink, H. ed. ca. 1990. Coptic art and culture. Cairo: Shouhdy Pub. House.
Jarrar, Sabri, András Riedlmayer, and Jeffrey B. Spurr. 1994. Resources for the Study of Islamic Architecture. Cambridge, MA: Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture.
