The Hamayoni Decree (also "Hamayonic", "Hamayouni") (Arabic: الخط الهمايونى) is a clause in the Egyptian law that dates back to Ottoman rule (February 1856), which regulates Christian church construction and maintenance. It is currently a cause of much controversy due to the conditions that need to be fulfilled in order for the permit to be granted. These same restrictions do not apply to mosques.[1] The law requires that each permit must be issued by the Egyptian president.
The requirements are complex and frequently arbitrary for building and repairing churches or church-owned buildings. The state president must personally approve all building applications, and the provincial governors must approve all applications for repairs, even for something as small as repairing a toilet or a broken window.[1]
While ostensibly part of the Tanzimat reforms of the Ottoman Empire, the special restrictions on churches trace back to the Covenant of Omar I in 637.