The leader of Egypt's Christain community - sitting in state.

The body of Pope Shenouda III is displayed at a cathedral in downtown Cairo on Sunday, hours after his death at the age of 88.

Crowds gathered to pay their repects to a man who was the spiritual leader of the country's 8 million Christains.

Many of those mourners were overcome by emotion.

This bishop says Shenouda was instrumental in soothing tensions between Egypt's Christain and Muslim communities.

Outside, thousands more queued overnight in the hopes of seeing Shenouda, who led the church for much of the last 40 years.

This woman says his legacy will live on long after his death.

Shenouda is expected to be buried this week at a monestary in the desert northwest of Cairo.

Andrew Raven, Reuters