Sophia Fahim

A portfolio by Sophia Fahim

Art, faith &
living tradition.

Exploring Coptic iconography through the images, stories, and communities that keep it alive.

Explore my work
IconographyResearchEducation
Circular church icon of the prophet Moses holding a red burning bush, surrounded by a golden halo.I. The Burning Bush Circular church icon of the patriarch Jacob beside a ladder, with a gold halo against a red background.II. Jacob’s Ladder

From the Saint Mary symbolism study
Holy Cross Coptic Orthodox Church, Michigan

A continuing exploration

Looking closely. Asking questions. Sharing a living heritage.

01 / Iconography

The language of symbols.

Seven studies of Saint Mary’s symbolism through the prophets depicted at Holy Cross Coptic Orthodox Church.

Circular church icon of the patriarch Jacob beside a ladder, with a gold halo against a red background.
01

Jacob’s Ladder

Jacob
Church icon of the prophet Ezekiel holding a closed gate, with a gold halo and burgundy background.
02

The Closed Gate

Ezekiel
Church icon of the prophet Zechariah holding a seven-branched golden lampstand.
03

The Golden Menorah

Zechariah
Photographic studies & written reflectionsView the full collection
Historic icon of Christ resting his arm on Abbot Mena’s shoulder.
Christ and Abbot Mena · Historical icon, subject of the research

02 / Research & cultural heritage

From vault
to altar.

The case for repatriating Christ and Abbot Mena

A research project on the ownership, display, and devotional life of Coptic sacred art, developed at the Stanford Summer Humanities Institute.

Read about the researchResearch paper · July 2026

Beyond the image

Learning. Sharing.

Following iconography from archival collections to conversations in the community.

03 / Archive exploration

The Sinai Archive

Icons, the burning bush, and the connections between visual and auditory theology.

Explore the archive project04 / Education

Passing it on

Introducing young people to the origins, purpose, and visual language of iconography.

Discover the workshops

About Sophia

A curiosity rooted
in tradition.

Sophia Fahim explores Coptic iconography through research, close visual study, and education.

Her projects include studying the symbolism of Saint Mary, researching the repatriation of sacred art, visiting the Sinai Archive at the University of Michigan, and teaching iconography workshops in her church.

This portfolio brings those explorations together.