His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, accompanied by his delegation, visited the Adligat Museum of Books and Travel in the Serbian capital, Belgrade.

The Pope was received by Mr. Viktor Lazić, the museum’s director, and was accompanied by Ambassador Basel Salah, Egypt’s Ambassador to Serbia.

During the visit, the Pope inaugurated a special exhibition organized in honor of his visit, as he is the first Coptic Patriarch to visit Serbia.

The exhibition is titled “Coptic Monasteries and Copts in Serbian Historical Prints” and features rare artifacts documenting the Coptic heritage in Serbia. The exhibits are part of the museum’s collections and are distributed across 19 rooms representing different cultures from around the world, including Egypt and Ethiopia.

This visit to the museum and the exhibition inauguration comes within the context of the Pope’s current pastoral tour of the Diocese of Central Europe, which began on April 25. Serbia marks the third stop of this tour.

Mr. Viktor Lazić expressed his happiness at the Pope’s visit, describing the museum as a “spiritual treasury of Serbia and the world.”

He added, “The Serbian Literary Museum, part of the Adligat Association for Culture, Arts, and International Cooperation, houses more than two million books and 200,000 rare items, along with large collections of stamps and coins.”

He continued, “My family has collected these treasures over nine generations. It was first opened to the public by my grandfather, and today, we continue the mission in collaboration with 220 members and 121 bequests from writers, professors, artists, and intellectuals.”

Mr. Lazić further said, “Today, we travel together through time and space to the land of the Pharaohs, the pyramids, and Egypt’s rich spiritual heritage. This ancient civilization along the Nile has amazed the world with its culture, art, and history. Today, we pay special attention to the Copts, descendants of the ancient Egyptians, who are the living thread of this country’s continuity. The Pope’s presence is a great blessing, especially since Saint George, the patron of our family and museum, is also the patron of the Hanging Church in Cairo, which I’ve visited twice as a pilgrim. We thank His Holiness for his visit and affirm our appreciation for the Copts’ role in preserving Egypt’s identity and continuity.”

In his speech, Pope Tawadros II expressed his joy at the visit, saying:
“I’m happy to be with you today at the Museum of Books and Travel. I’ve come to you from the land of Egypt, the land of the Pharaohs, which has carried civilizations through the ages. Egypt is an ancient nation with many successive civilizations — Pharaonic, Coptic, Islamic, Arab, African, Mediterranean, and Greco-Roman. All these have made Egypt a melting pot rich in both unity and diversity. These civilizations have endowed Egypt with a unique cultural and heritage richness.

It is also the land where our Coptic Church was established in the first century AD by Saint Mark the Apostle. The Church has preserved its heritage, Coptic language, music, and monasteries, which still stand today as testaments to generations of faith.”

He gave an overview of the Coptic Church’s history, beginning with the evangelism of Saint Mark in Alexandria and the start of monasticism by Saint Anthony the Great, who became the father of monasticism worldwide. He also highlighted the Holy Family’s journey to Egypt, which left a deep spiritual blessing and gave Egypt a special religious status.

He added, “Today, the Coptic Church serves its members across all continents.”

The Pope continued, “I invite you all to visit Egypt — an open-air museum with unique heritage, temples, monuments, monasteries, and libraries, blending ancient civilization with deep Christian spirituality.”

During the visit, His Holiness presented the museum with a collection of Coptic books in Arabic and English, expressing his joy that they would be added to the museum’s holdings. He also viewed a distinguished collection of Coptic literature and works on prominent Egyptian figures such as Naguib Mahfouz and Dr. Zahi Hawass.

The visit concluded with a tour of the museum’s diverse rooms, which feature cultures from India, China, Ethiopia, and Egypt, offering a scene that reflects the human and cultural convergence of the world’s peoples.

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