Coptic Christians, known as Copts, are the largest ethno-religious minority in Egypt, constituting roughly 10 per cent of the country's 95 million people.

Although many now identify as Arabs, Copts do not historically believe themselves to be of Arab origin, but are instead acknowledged as the remaining descendants of the civilisation of the Ancient Egyptians, with Pharaonic origins.

The word Coptic is derived from the ancient Greek word for Egyptian.

Although they are primarily located in Egypt, they are also spread throughout neighbours Libya and Sudan. In Australia there are some 30,000 Copts.

In Muslim-majority Egypt, Coptic Christians are often the victims of persecution and repeated attacks on their churches, and have a history of being scapegoated and marginalised by the state.

The divisions between the country's Muslims and the Copts were exacerbated after the Egyptian Revolution of 1952, when the military overthrew the British colony and created the Republic of Egypt.

People gather outside Saint George church in Tanta after a bombing by Islamic State ( Reuters: Mohamed Abd El Ghany )

The Republic of Egypt, part of then-president Gamal Abdel Nasser's anti-Western "pan-Arabism," was ultimately established as a Muslim country, and the decades that followed saw an exodus of Egypt's Copts.

Coptic Christians face constant trouble from the Egyptian state — for example, getting permission to build churches is made nearly impossible, they are frequently openly discriminated against or lynched, and the predominantly Muslim Government is subsequently criticised for turning a blind eye to their plight.

This reality has kept the relationship between the Egyptian Government and the head of the Coptic Church — currently Pope Tawadros II — extremely precarious, with Copts often toeing a very narrow line in their push for religious freedom and rights.

Subsequent governments have often pledged to protect Egypt's Copts, including current President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, however such promises have consistently failed to materialise.

After decades of exodus, there are now roughly over 1 million Copts around the world and over 100 churches, including throughout Australia, which has the third largest Coptic community in the world outside of Egypt.

Copts differ from other Christian denominations in that they follow a different religious calendar and generally share beliefs and rituals similar to those of the Greek Orthodox Church.

The Coptic calendar is based on the ancient Egyptian calendar, and hence Christmas is observed on January 7 and Easter falls usually in late April or early May.

The Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria — on Egypt's north coast — is considered the Copts' main centre of worship.

A candlelit Coptic altar. ( Wikimedia: Afanous, file )

It is believed to have been established in the middle of the first century AD and marked one of the first Christian places of worship outside of the Holy Land — now roughly where Israel and Palestine are located.

In the centuries that followed, Egyptian Copts faced continued persecution dating back to the ancient era via the Romans, all the way through to Arab-Muslim conquest of Egypt.

In modern Egypt, Coptic Christians and their places of worship continue to be regularly attacked.

In December 2016 a Coptic Cathedral was bombed in central Cairo, leaving some 25 people dead, and twin attacks on Palm Sunday 2017 killed dozens.

During the Egyptian Revolution of 2011, the Egyptian military drove tanks over and murdered some 28 Coptic protesters and injured hundreds in what became known as the Maspero Massacre.

Some analysts saw it as a turning point in the revolution — the point when the military government began to believe it could act with impunity against protesters.

As an example of the level of disregard that Copts often face in Egypt, the Coptic protesters were ultimately blamed for attacking the military on state media, and the massacre was generally ignored by the public who believed the state narrative of violent Copts trying to destroy the country.