I was on duty at the garage opposite the church. At exactly 3:30 a.m. on the night of Tuesday, April 2nd, 1968, I heard the garage guard stationed at the door shouting loudly, ‘A light above the dome!’ I rushed out immediately and saw with my own eyes a Lady moving atop the dome, radiating an extraordinary light that illuminated the darkness surrounding the dome.

Mamoun Afifi, Trainer of Public Transport Drivers

The beginning

On Tuesday, April 2, 1968, after sunset and evening, the street overlooking the Public Transport Authority garage opposite the church was quiet, except for the occasional passing car and a few pedestrians. Suddenly, the attention of two female passersby and two garage workers was caught by an unusual movement above the church’s central dome. The workers put down their teacups to stare at the sight, unable to believe what they were seeing.
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The Director of Information and Grievances submitted to the Minister of Tourism, Mr. Hafez Ghanem, a detailed report confirming the testimony of the garage workers and attesting to twenty-seven apparitions of the Holy Virgin from April 2, 1968, to the date of the report.

MICHEL NIL from the book ‘THE APPARITIONS OF THE VIRGIN IN EGYPT’

Local authorities attention

Ministry of Tourism

The Ministry of Tourism distributed a statement to those present at the press conference confirming the true apparition (see the Ministry of Tourism statement) titled “The Virgin Mary Appears Daily at the Church of Zeitoun in Cairo.” The Ministry of Tourism also took the necessary measures to welcome tourists to the Zeitoun area.
The Ministry of Tourism also confirmed the true nature of the apparition to embassies and tourism offices outside Egypt in preparation for receiving tourists.
The Egyptian government announced the true nature of the apparition in its official gazette, the government-issued Al-Waqa’i’ Al-Masryia newspaper, making it a reliable source of official news and government decisions.
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Thousands gather every night around the church in Zeitoun, awaiting the apparition of the Virgin Mary, which numerous individuals have claimed to have seen appearing above the church dome.

Reported by: Ezzat El-Saadani, Al-Ahram Newspaper, April 27, 1968

Local press

Local newspapers and magazines covered the event on their front pages and in their headlines, and conducted interviews with eyewitnesses and those miraculously cured of incurable diseases during the apparition. Among the interesting news that testifies to the world’s interest in this miracle is the news of international airlines announcing that they had no seats on their flights to Cairo due to the increasing number of tourists arriving in Egypt to witness the apparition.

On 5 May 1968, a special committee of eminent Coptic clergymen appointed by Pope Kyrillos VI submitted their official report on the apparitions.

Francis Johnson from his book ‘When millions saw Mary’

Coptic church

The Church recorded its testimony in an official statement broadcast at a press conference. Its bishops, after verifying the truth of the appearance themselves, responded to the attendees’ questions with complete transparency. The statement was published in Egyptian and foreign newspapers on Sunday, May 5. Among the most prominent newspapers that reported on the press conference were Al-Ahram, Al-Akhbar, Al-Gomhuria, Watani, the Lebanese newspaper Al-Anwar, The American Daily Newspaper, and the New York Times.
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Twelve bearded, black-robed clergymen of the Coptic Orthodox Church, seated beneath a large photograph of President Gamal Abdel Nasser at the patriarchal palace here, affirmed today their acceptance of reported miraculous appearances of the Virgin Mary in Cairo.

THOMAS F. BRADY from the newspaper THE NEW YORK TIMES, SUNDAY, MAY 5, 1968

International media

Numerous articles and books were written in Arabic and foreign languages ​​during and after the apparition, by Egyptian and foreign researchers and auditors who witnessed the event. Their writings included descriptions of the appearance, its circumstances, and testimonies from those who witnessed it. It is difficult to list all of these books and articles due to their large number.

Head of the Evangelical Church in Egypt The Reverend Dr. Ibrahim Said, head of the Evangelical Church and Speaker on behalf of all the Protestant Churches of Egypt, has officially announced the certainty of the appearances of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Jerome Palmer from  the book ‘Our Lady returns to Egypt‘

Other Churches and Denominations

Coptic Catholic Patriarch

His Beatitude Cardinal Stephanos I, Patriarch of the Catholic Church, declared: “It is a real apparition, and there is no doubt about it. Many of his Coptic Catholic children, whom he trusts, have confirmed it and recounted to him the details of their visions of the Virgin Mary in the church dome.” A nun named Paula di Muffalo, known for her meticulous accuracy, came to him and recounted—her body trembling and shaking—how she had seen the Virgin Mary with her own eyes in the church dome. Not only did she see it, but thousands of people also saw it. This unique miracle carries a message of good news and will make this church a sacred global shrine, visited by pilgrims from all over the world.”
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Pope Tawadros II

Pope Tawadros II

The Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of Alexandria and all the Diaspora, Egypt

After 20 centuries, she was seeking us with this amazing apparition on the domes of her church at Zeitoun, Cairo
Pope Shenouda III

Pope Shenouda III

The Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of Alexandria and all the Diaspora (1971 – 2012), Egypt

Blessed is our generation which is honored by the apparition of the Virgin. Many generations missed it. Many eyes wished to witness. Blessed is our land and our Holy Church which has been chosen by the Holy Virgin to appear in a unique way never before witnessed in the history.
Hamdy Heraz

Hamdy Heraz

Member of the National Assembly and Secretary of the Executive Office in Al-Zaytoun, Egypt

I saw the Virgin with her luminous body in its place. I believed in what I saw, and I began to recite the verses that honor the Virgin and favor her over the women of the world. Come to me or someone who believes that the appearance of the light is a spiritual phenomenon, a good omen.
Metropolitan Athanasius

Metropolitan Athanasius

of Beni Suef (1923–2000), Egypt

The countless people who have enjoyed spiritual revival and joy, who obtained recovery from their diseases, and relief from physical pain, all are living witness to the unfailing love and sustaining care of God.
Bishop Gregorius

Bishop Gregorius

Bishop for Higher Studies Coptic Scientific Research, Egypt

Our Holy Virgin Mother of St.Mary appeared in about 10 different ways. God sent her in ways, by nature, we would know her.
Pearl Zaki

Pearl Zaki

An American Woman, for her experience of seeing the Apparitions of The Virgin Mary, Egypt

At Zeitoun it was as if at that moment God said ‘SEE MY MOTHER. And we did. She, in her awesome beauty is the silent Mother. She spoke to no one so she could speak to everyone.
Fr. Jerome Palmer

Fr. Jerome Palmer

O.S.B. Benedictine priest January, 1969., Egypt

Unique in the history of Marian apparitions, unique in the circumstances of time and place, unique in the almost complete silence of the American Press, religious and secular, are the appearances in Zeitun (Cairo), Egypt.
Otto Friedrich August Meinardus

Otto Friedrich August Meinardus

German Coptologist AUC, Egypt

Thousands of people gathered every night… waiting for the Virgin Mary to appear in brilliant light… with many healing miracles occurring in conjunction with the apparitions.
Adel Taher

Adel Taher

Undersecretary of the Ministry of Tourism, Egypt

The first thing to keep in mind is that the issue of the apparition of the Virgin Mary is not a tourist issue, but rather a religious issue that we all respect, and the state at the highest levels is looking at this issue with great interest (Watani 5-5-1968).
Fr. Dr. Henry Ayrouth

Fr. Dr. Henry Ayrouth

Director of Holy Family Catholic Schools, Egypt

It is not strange for the Virgin to appear in the Coptic Church in Zeitoun… She can appear anywhere, especially in Egypt at this particular time, and in the Coptic Church in Zeitoun, in the area through which the Holy Family passed.
Cardinal Stephen I

Cardinal Stephen I

Coptic Catholic Patriarch, Egypt

He said, “It is a real apparition and he has no doubt about it. Many of his Coptic Catholic children whom he trusts have confirmed it and told him the details of their vision of the Virgin in the dome of the church.”
Rev. Dr. Ibrahim Saeed

Rev. Dr. Ibrahim Saeed

Head of the Evangelical Community, Egypt

Among the crowds who saw the Virgin were figures known for their accurate judgment and assessment of things, and there is no doubt about the truth of what those figures saw and narrated. If God has allowed the Virgin to appear to us in these days, perhaps that is to compensate people for being deprived of visiting Jerusalem this year, so she came to them to strengthen their resolve.