Source: Ahram Online Our beloved lady: Exploring Egypt’s fascination with the Virgin Mary Dina Ezzat The Virgin Mary continues to be a figure of faith and fascination for Egyptians of different religious traditions The festival of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, which took place on Saturday 15 August, received unprecedented recognition in the public sphere in Egypt. The festival is celebrated by Coptic Orthodox Christians, Catholics, and many other denominations worldwide, who believe that Mary was bodily taken up into heaven at the end of her life. Throughout Thursday, Friday and Saturday, a number of presenters on Egyptian radio…