CCISSGO-24

INTRODUCTION Across the Middle East, North Africa, and parts of Europe and Central Asia, Christianity once flourished centuries before Islam emerged in the 7th century. Many regions that are today Muslim-majority were originally dominated by Christian populations, churches, monasteries, and theological centers that shaped early Christian doctrine. Over time, political change, military conquest, economic systems, social pressure, migration, and historical conflicts transformed the religious demographics of these regions. This article examines countries and regions that were once largely Christian but are now predominantly Muslim, using historical evidence and demographic estimates. EGYPT Egypt was one of the earliest and most influential centers of Christianity. The Church of Alexandria played a foundational role in Christian theology, and monasticism originated in the Egyptian desert. Before the Arab-Muslim conquest in 640 CE, Egypt was overwhelmingly Christian, with the ma...