St. Mary and St. Abraam Coptic Orthodox Church, Brighton

Saint Mary and Saint Abraam Coptic Orthodox Church, located in Hove, part of the English city of Brighton and Hove, is a significant religious institution within the Coptic Orthodox community in the United Kingdom. This church is one of 27 Coptic Orthodox churches in the British Isles, with twelve of these being British Orthodox churches. The community in Brighton and Hove was established in 1990, and four years later, in 1994, it moved to its current site on Davigdor Road, at the border of Brighton and Hove.

The church occupies a historic building originally constructed in 1909 as Saint Thomas the Apostle, an Anglican church designed by the prominent Brighton-based architectural firm Clayton & Black. This firm was known for several notable local landmarks, including the Duke of York's Picture House and the French Convalescent Home. The building is characterized by its Early English architectural style, with a tall red-brick exterior, a large pointed-arch window on its eastern face, and five smaller windows along the northern facade where the entrance is located.

The interior of Saint Mary and Saint Abraam Coptic Orthodox Church is highlighted by a 7.5-meter-tall mahogany and oak iconostasis, installed in 2000, and reputed to be the tallest of its kind worldwide. Featuring 24 icons, including the Last Supper and Jesus Christ, it was crafted in Egypt and assembled in Hove by volunteers. Pope Shenouda III dedicated the iconostasis on August 13, 2000. The altar also showcases a large icon of Christ, painted by Father Zakaria Botros, the church's leader at the time, despite his lack of formal artistic training.

Saint Mary and Saint Abraam was the first Coptic Orthodox church to be established in the south of England outside of London, highlighting its importance within the region. Today, the Coptic Orthodox community in the United Kingdom comprises approximately 30,000 members, with an additional 5,000 Copts affiliated with the British Orthodox Church.