Vol.I - The Coptic Orthodox Church

60 Ancient Coptic Churches. [CH. n.
from the fifteenth or sixteenth century.
The haikal-
screen is inlaid with plain ivory, a cross-in-square
pattern, very pretty, though not remarkably fine.
There is a detached Madonna above the central
door, and the usual arrangement of pictures, seven
in number. The centre is a Madonna each of
;
the six side pictures contains two apostles, and is
divided into two arches with a pillar between. All
the figures are seated, and half-face towards the
Virgin, each upholding a cross ; those
to the north
carry the cross in their left hand, those to the
south in their right. The ground is of gold in
every case.
Five pictures in the same style are over the south
iconostasis ; Christ in the centre, and on each side
two angels, separate.
On the screen outside near the haikal door, accord-
ing to common practice,
is fastened a small rude
block of wood (4 in. by 4 about), hollowed out cup-
like ;
it contains two little glass crewets, each holding
less than a gill of wine. This is the wine used for
the sacrament ; it is unfermented, and made of dried
; grapes
coloured.
There follow five scenes on the south wall ;
it is sweet, thick, and opaque, never clear-
above
the screen dividing this end of the choir from the
south aisle two others ; and on the east wall a huge
indecipherable Mari Banai a Syrian martyr.
The sanctuary or haikal is remarkable for an
unusually lofty altar-canopy, which originally rested
on four tall slender columns of wood, still standing
at the four corners of the altar. But while the
original columns remain, above them is now a
larger and incongruous though handsome dome,