Warraq — the light over the church towers, 2009

OVERVIEW

Our Lady of Warraq is a reported mass apparition of the Virgin Mary at the Coptic Orthodox Church of the Virgin Mary and Archangel Michael in Warraq al-Hadar, Giza, in the early hours of 11 December 2009.

HISTORY

The first witness was reportedly a Muslim neighbour at his coffee shop, who saw a strong light from the church condense into a female form; it was said to appear above the middle dome and move between the domes to the gate between the twin towers. Many local residents reported it, while other early witnesses saw only lights and flashes. On 24 December 2009 Agence France-Presse described nightly crowds of up to 10,000 watching for the 'mysterious light over the church tower'. A representative of the Coptic Orthodox Church approved the apparitions in early 2010.

REPORTED ACTIVITY

Egyptians were divided. Dissenters called it a hoax to strengthen faith at a time of sectarian clashes; Reverend Rifat Fikry said it misled the poor and naive, and the chairman of the Evangelical publishing committee called such claims manipulative, while other bishops endorsed it. In 2012 a video by a Swedish skeptic argued the 'apparition' was the illuminated tower behind the domes, seen from different angles — pareidolia.

VISITING

The church is in Warraq al-Hadar, Giza; the pin marks the district, not the church itself. Visiting arrangements are not recorded in the source.