Egypt’s Baha’i community faces a shortage of burial space

Egypt’s Baha’i community is running out of burial space, with its last remaining cemetery in Cairo nearly full.

The Baha’i faith is a small minority religion in Egypt, whose population is mainly Muslim.

Baha’i practice requires a body to be buried within an hour’s journey from where the person died, making Cairo a difficult destination for families elsewhere.

Burial grounds once used in Alexandria and Port Said have been filled or reassigned, and community members say requests for new ones were rejected without clear written reasons.

Egypt’s government says it does not restrict Baha’i belief and that burial sites are sufficient for all citizens.

The shortage reflects wider difficulties Baha’is say they face, including marriages not being recognised in official records, which can affect family records, inheritance and benefits.

A court ruling recognising one couple’s Baha’i marriage was overturned in January, and other couples fear the decision could affect them.