The head of the Coptic Church, Pope Tawadros II, led midnight mass in the cathedral of Egypt's new administrative capital on Saturday, a service attended by President Abdel Fattah al Sisi.
The mass, on the eve of Coptic Christmas which is celebrated on January 7, was the first to be held in the newly-built cathedral and took place amid tight security. Sisi was cheered by worshippers as he entered the building.
The new Egyptian capital, announced in March 2015, is intended partly to reduce crowding in Cairo.
The cathedral will seat more than 8,000 people and features twin bell towers 200 feet high, and is said to be the largest church in the Middle East. However, some Christians have expressed fears that it will become a target for terrorists.
It is part of an ambitious project to relocate Egypt's administration and government some 45 km (28 miles) east of Cairo. The new city, which has not yet been given a name, will be home to government ministries, housing and an airport.
The celebrations were held days after attacks on a Coptic church and another Christian-owned shop that left more than 10 people dead.
Egypt's large Christian minority has increasingly been targeted in recent years by Islamist militants including Islamic State, which is waging an insurgency in the north of the remote Sinai Peninsula.
Additional reporting by Reuters.
