Aziz Suryal Atiya

Aziz Suryal Atiya (1898–1988) was an Egyptian Coptologist and scholar specializing in Islamic and Crusades studies. Born in Egypt, he earned degrees from the University of Liverpool and the University of London, becoming Egypt's first Fulbright scholar. He founded the Institute of Coptic Studies in Cairo and the Middle East Center at the University of Utah. His library at the university is one of North America's largest collections for Middle East studies.

Atiya rediscovered ten papyri fragments related to the Book of Abraham in the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art while at the University of Utah. He authored numerous books, including "The Crusades in the Later Middle Ages" (1938), *The Coptic Encyclopedia* (1991), and *A History of Eastern Christianity* (first edition 1968, expanded 1980). He introduced the terms "Coptology" and "Coptologist" into academic discourse.

Atiya held positions at several institutions, including Cairo University, Princeton University, and Indiana University. He was awarded a Doctor of Letters from the University of Liverpool in 1938 and honorary degrees from Brigham Young University. His extensive scholarship includes editing works like Muḥammad ibn al-Ḳāsim's history of Alexandria. Atiya's contributions have left a lasting impact on Coptic and Islamic studies.