Father Hani Bakhoum, spokesman for the Roman Catholic Church in Egypt, said Thursday that the Cabinet has officially approved the construction works of a Catholic church in the state's New Administrative Capital. An area of 6,000 square meters has been allocated for the new church. The largest Coptic Orthodox church in Egypt has been constructed in the new administrative capital in January on an area of more than 15 feddans, which is almost three times the size of the Abbasiya Saint Mark Cathedral, official spokesman for the New Administrative Capital Khalid al-Husseni said in January. It includes the People's Church, the new papal headquarters and administrative offices. The main church consists of two floors; the ground floor can accommodate 2,500 worshipers, while the upper floor can accommodate 7,500 worshipers. Husseni added that the People's Church can accommodate 1,000 worshipers. Located 40km (24.8 miles) east of Cairo, the anticipated new capital city is part of the Egyptian government's scheme to expand urban areas to deal with the state's rapid population growth and improve the nation's infrastructure. The new city will be a 270-square-mile hub with 21 residential districts to accommodate five million people. It will feature 1,250 mosques and churches, a 5,000-seat conference center, nearly 2,000 schools and colleges, over 600 medical facilities and a park that is projected to be the world's largest. Source: Egypt Independent
