GABRIEL II, ibn Turayk, seventieth patriarch of the See of Saint
Mark (1131-1145) (feast day: 10 Bavamudah). Gabriel ibn Turayk
was one of three laymen selected to occupy the Coptic
patriarchate in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries during the
late Fatimid caliphate and the early Ayyubid sultanate. He had
the rather anomalous name of Abu al-‘Ala’, which could be
applied equally to a Copt as well as a Muslim; however, its use
is known to have been more frequent in Islamic communities.
Nevertheless, he is known to have descended from an old and
noble Coptic family of scribes in the new Egyptian capital of
Cairo. He was brought up and educated in the Christian tradition
and, owing to his strict religious temperament, he became a
deacon in the ancient Church of Saint Mercurius (ABU SAYFAYN) in
Old Cairo, where he spent time in ardent prayer during his
youth. As a mature man, he lived a celibate life of chastity and
devoted himself to helping the needy, the sick, and the poor
widows and orphans of his community.