It was designed as a miniature of the Hagia Sophia church in Istanbul, Turkey and built under the supervision of the Italian architect Leomingelli.

[1] Allegedly based upon a vision Ibrahim had seen, it is said that the Virgin Mary told him that she would appear in her church at Zeitoun after forty years.

[5] On the evening of Tuesday, 2 April 1968 (24 Baramhat 1684 in the Coptic calendar), sightings of the Virgin Mary and associated phenomena were reported by a group of individuals at the church.

Among them was the watchman, Abdul Aziz Ali, who saw a luminous body of a young lady kneeling next to the cross located on the largest dome of the church.

[12] Every year on 2 April, the church celebrates the apparition in a gathering of thousands of believers who wish to honor Mary, seeking her blessing and intercession.