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Beginning on the evening of Tuesday, April 2, 1968, the Coptic Orthodox Church of Holy Virgin Saint Mary, Mother of Light, Tumanbay Street, in Zeitoun quarter, on the way to El-Matarya, Cairo, Egypt, was visited by its namesake. Unlike most apparitions that are viewed by one or a few individuals, the Virgin Mary appeared to thousands of witnesses at once, including those from many different religions and nationalities. She was repeatedly photographed by the media and investigated by Egyptian police. An apparition of this caliber has never been seen before, and yet it remains obscure in paranormal literature, perhaps because of the overtly religious nature of the events.
The Zeitoun apparitions occurred on multiple nights and included the Virgin in full body, moving and walking on the roof and domes of the church; the Virgin as a bright cloud and as a bust surrounded by light. Witnesses saw the apparition kneel in front of the cross, wave her hands, and nod. Strange shapes like flying doves broke off from the apparition and flew away at high speeds. She continued to be visible for hours, such as on Tuesday, April 30, 1968, when she appeared continuously from 2:45 a.m. until 5:00 a.m.
One repeat witness of the phenomenon was Adeeb Naguib, who worked for the Ministry of Tourism. Naguib wrote of the events: "...The apparitions took many forms including...full luminous stature. The Virgin appeared wearing a long robe extending to below Her feet. Sometimes She was surrounded by bright stars, and at other times She had a shawl about Her head, and Her hands were extended forward. At times, She was seen blessing the people who gathered to observe the miracle by waving Her hands and nodding Her holy head. At other times, She had an olive branch in Her hand." (In Arabic, "zeitoun" means olives.)
Other times, said Naguib, "she [appeared] with the Babe Jesus Christ in Her arms... Sometimes a lightning-like light appeared. It shone for a while and then disappeared. At other times, a luminous mist spread everywhere and it gave off the strong pleasant scent of incense that pervaded the whole place."
The Zeitoun apparations cannot be blamed on mass hysteria or hallucinations. A full investigation of Mary's appearances at Zeitoun was conducted by the Cairo Police Department, which could find no evidence that the apparitions were manmade. The Coptic Christian Church, then lead by Pope Kyrillos VI, also thoroughly investigated the apparitions. On May 4, 1968, the church released a pronouncement confirming that to its satisfaction, "the Holy Virgin Mary, Mother of Light, appeared in clear forms on many different nights, for periods of variable length."
The Zeitoun apparitions occurred on multiple nights and included the Virgin in full body, moving and walking on the roof and domes of the church; the Virgin as a bright cloud and as a bust surrounded by light. Witnesses saw the apparition kneel in front of the cross, wave her hands, and nod. Strange shapes like flying doves broke off from the apparition and flew away at high speeds. She continued to be visible for hours, such as on Tuesday, April 30, 1968, when she appeared continuously from 2:45 a.m. until 5:00 a.m.
One repeat witness of the phenomenon was Adeeb Naguib, who worked for the Ministry of Tourism. Naguib wrote of the events: "...The apparitions took many forms including...full luminous stature. The Virgin appeared wearing a long robe extending to below Her feet. Sometimes She was surrounded by bright stars, and at other times She had a shawl about Her head, and Her hands were extended forward. At times, She was seen blessing the people who gathered to observe the miracle by waving Her hands and nodding Her holy head. At other times, She had an olive branch in Her hand." (In Arabic, "zeitoun" means olives.)
Other times, said Naguib, "she [appeared] with the Babe Jesus Christ in Her arms... Sometimes a lightning-like light appeared. It shone for a while and then disappeared. At other times, a luminous mist spread everywhere and it gave off the strong pleasant scent of incense that pervaded the whole place."
The Zeitoun apparations cannot be blamed on mass hysteria or hallucinations. A full investigation of Mary's appearances at Zeitoun was conducted by the Cairo Police Department, which could find no evidence that the apparitions were manmade. The Coptic Christian Church, then lead by Pope Kyrillos VI, also thoroughly investigated the apparitions. On May 4, 1968, the church released a pronouncement confirming that to its satisfaction, "the Holy Virgin Mary, Mother of Light, appeared in clear forms on many different nights, for periods of variable length."
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