8 Christians who make Egypt great

Egyptian-American Rami Malek stole people's hearts when he first took on the leading role in the critically acclaimed USA Network television series Mr. Robot. Malek was born in California to Egyptian Coptic Orthodox parents.

For his role as Mr. Robot, Malek has won a Critics' Choice Award and the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. He was also nominated for the Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild and TCA awards.

The 80-year-old Christian teacher has been teaching students all subjects, including the Quran, for over 50 years. 

He holds classes all week long, charging a small fee for his services and helping children for free if their families cannot afford to pay. 

Nelly Artin Kalfayan is an Egyptian actress, singer, comedian, dancer, television personality and all-around entertainer of Armenian descent.

She is best known in Egypt and throughout the Arab world for her "Fawazir Ramadan", or Ramadan puzzles - a set of TV comedy shows with numerous songs and dance routines. Over time, Nelly's Fawazir became a staple of Ramadan nights, particularly for those born in the 80s and 90s. 

Egyptian comedy would not have been the same without Hani Ramzi, who happens to be a Coptic Christian born in the city of Minya.

He has shined in a number of roles, most notably in the hit films Divorce Attorney (2002) and A Marriage by Presidental Decree (2001).

Henry Barakat (1914 - 1997) was one of Egypt's most famous film directors in his era. He was born in Cairo to a religious Egyptian Coptic family, and his father served as a priest at the St. Antonio Church in Shobra.

Mostly known for his masterpiece Doaa el-Karawan (The Nightingale Prayer), Barakat has directed some of the most famous films in Egyptian cinema.

His works have been nominated for top prizes at the Cannes Film Festival and Berlin International Film Festival. 

In the last half of his career, Barakat was dubbed Sheikh el-Mukhergine (The Patriarch of Film-makers).

Ramzi was born in the Abdeen region of Cairo to Coptic Orthodox parents.

The former national team captain launched his career at Al-Ahly Club and soon became one of Egypt's youngest professionals.

Ramzi then joined the Swiss club Neuchâtel Xamax, where he was dubbed "The Rock". In 1994, he joined the German Club SV Werder Bremen with a $1.5 million transfer fee, becoming the most expensive player in Egypt at the time.

It is no surprise then that Ramzy was named among the "Best African Players in the Past 50 Years" by the BBC.

George Ishaq, a Coptic Christian, was born and raised in Port Said. He became politically active at a young age.

The history professor is most known for co-founding the "Kefaya" opposition movement, which provided a platform for protest against Hosni Mubarak’s presidency, political corruption and stagnation.

Born and raised in the city of Suhag, Maher graduated with a bachelor's degree in commerce from Asiut University, coupled with a post graduate diploma in Human Rights and Civil Society.

The independent MP is the managing director of Al-Korra Foundation, a non-governmental organization working towards sustainable economic development and fighting the unemployment phenomenon in Egypt.

Maher has also been active in the field of human rights, having led national advocacy campaigns to amend the Egyptian Child Law and the law for persons with disabilities.

She co-founded the Egypt Child Rights Coalition, as well as the Egypt Child Protection Network, a network of international organizations working on all issues related to child protection in Egypt.