Pope Mark VIII of Alexandria was the Coptic

Coptic Christianity

The Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria is the official name for the largest Christian church in Egypt and the Middle East. The Church belongs to the Oriental Orthodox family of churches, which has been a distinct church body since the Council of Chalcedon in AD 451, when it took a different...

 Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark

Patriarch of Alexandria

The Patriarch of Alexandria is the Archbishop of Alexandria and Cairo, Egypt. Historically, this office has included the designation of Pope , and did so earlier than that of the Bishop of Rome...

 (1797–1810).

He became a monk

Monk

A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...

 in the Monastery of Saint Anthony

Monastery of Saint Anthony

The Monastery of Saint Anthony is a Coptic Orthodox monastery standing in an oasis in the Eastern Desert of Egypt, in the southern part of the Suez Governorate. Hidden deep in the Red Sea mountains, it is located southeast of Cairo. It is one of the oldest monasteries in the world, together with...

. During his papacy there were two major changes in ruling of Egypt

Egypt

Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...

 as at the beginning Egypt was ruled by the Ottoman Empire

Ottoman Empire

The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...

 then the French Invasion of Egypt

French Invasion of Egypt

The Egyptian Campaign was Napoleon Bonaparte's campaign in "The Orient", ostensibly to protect French trade interests, undermine Britain's access to India, and to establish scientific enterprise in the region...

 in 1798 followed by the return of the Ottomans in 1801.

He inaugurated the Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral

Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral (Azbakeya)

Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in Azbakeya, Cairo was the seat of the Coptic Pope from 1800 to 1971.Due to Ibrahim El-Gohary's influential position in the government and his great favor to the Muslim rulers, he was able to issue fatwas that permitted the Copts to rebuild the destroyed...

 in Azbakeya in Cairo

Cairo

Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...

 that was built by Ibrahim El-Gohary

Ibrahim El-Gohary

Ibrahim El-Gohary is a famous Copt who was Egypt's prime minister during the second half of the 18th century.-Biography:Ibrahim El-Gohary was born to poor Coptic parents in Qalyub. His father, Youssef El-Gohary, made clothes for living. As a young child, Ibrahim excelled in writing and arithmetic...

 and moved the Seat of the Coptic Pope to this cathedral

Cathedral

A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...

 in 1800. from Saint Mary Church (Haret Elroum)

Saint Mary Church (Haret Elroum)

Saint Mary Church El-Adra-El Mughitha church is a Coptic Orthodox church in Haret Elroum in Elghoureya Cairo. near the st Theodore Nun's monastery....

.