Newspaper: Al-Gomhuria
Publication date: May 6, 1968
Language: Arabic

Conversion of the Virgin Mary Church Area into a tourism zone
Security Measures.. Traffic Regulation, and Protection of Visitors

The influx of people to the Zeitoun district increased yesterday following the statement broadcast by Pope Kyrillos VI, in which he confirmed the apparition of the Virgin Mary at her church in this area. Cairo Governorate immediately took security and organizational measures to protect visitors due to the heavy crowds. A study is currently underway to consider converting the area surrounding the church into a tourist zone.
Cairo Governor Saad Zayed visited the area yesterday afternoon, accompanied by Major General Mahmoud El-Sebaie, Director of Public Security, along with senior officials of the governorate and its administrators, as well as representatives of the Ministry of Tourism. They inspected the church and the surrounding area.
The Governor stated that studies are currently underway to establish a tourist area around the church, including the preparation of rest facilities and places for accommodation. At the same time, the Governor issued instructions to implement a special traffic system in the area, take the necessary measures to protect visitors, clean and pave the streets surrounding the church, and begin removing the trees around the church so that the domes where it is said the Virgin Mary appears would be clearly visible.
The Governor met with the priest of the church and listened to his proposals, which included relocating the garage opposite the church to another site, so that a large garden and tourist chalets could be established in its place.
At the same time, the Ministry of Tourism is preparing an urgent tourism program to mark this religious occasion. This program will be implemented alongside the measures being taken to celebrate the opening of the new cathedral building and the completion of nineteen centuries since the martyrdom of Saint Mark, as well as the transfer of his relics from Venice to Cairo.
Those who spent last night around the church confirmed that the Virgin Mary appeared from 2:30 a.m. until 4:00 a.m. on Sunday.
The crowds of visitors included a large number of members of foreign and Arab embassies, among them Elias Jamil of the Lebanese Embassy and his family.
Refaat Mohamed, an employee of the Public Transport Authority, and his colleague Mounir Sayed Ahmed stated that they saw her yesterday in the form of light, followed by a shadow. The scene continued for two hours, and doves flew from the dome after her appearance.
The phenomenon of white doves accompanies the apparition of the Virgin Mary every time she appears. Al-Gomhuria went up onto the church building and observed the four domes and the large central dome. The domes appeared to be completely empty on the inside, and two of the domes each contain bells.
Father Constantine Moussa stated that he personally witnessed her inside the northeastern dome on the night of April 10. He said that she was standing, that her image was clearly visible, and that her color appeared orange.
Preparations to develop the area for tourism began immediately, including paving the streets surrounding the church.
The Governor of Cairo ordered that the areas around the church be carefully maintained and developed in order to transform them into a tourist zone.

Investigation: Abu El-Haggag Hafez
Photography: Mahmoud Abdel Fattah