but they don't always live comfortably, says georgetown university's john esposito. >> this is an ancient church. it's the largest, most people would say, its the largest christian community in the middle east. but in the modern period, copts have continued to experience forms of discrimination, hate crimes, attacks on copts, and attacks on churches. >> reporter: in that period since the 1950s, under series of strongmen egyptian rulers, christian copts were free to practice their faith, but were second class citizens in other ways. and during outbursts of islamist terrorism here-- like the 1990s- - christians were targeted. but since the 2011 revolution that deposed hosni mubarak, especially after morsi came to power in 2012, christians came under pressure as never before, says mona makram ebeid, a copt, former professor and one-time parliamentarian. >> we had every week or every other month, a church attacked, christians killed. sectarian violence has increased much more in the past year than it was before. >> reporter: georgetown's john esposito agrees, especially when it comes to the l