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He returned to Alexandria where he found the believers had increased in number, and built a church for them in the place known as Bokalia (the place of cows), east of Alexandria on the sea shore.
[[Image:StMarkCathAlex.jpg|thumb|St Mark Coptic Orthodox Church in Alexandria, where the saint's head is preserved to this day.]] It came to pass, when he was celebrating the feast of the Resurrection in thr year 68 A.D., the same day coincided with the great pagan celebration for the feast of the god Syrabis, a multitude of them assembled and attacked the church at Bokalia and forced their way in. They seized St. Mark, bound him with a thick rope and dragged him in the roads and streets crying, "Drag the dragon to the place of cows." They continued dragging him with severe cruelty. His flesh was torn and scattered everywhere, and the ground of the city was covered with his blood. They cast him that night into a dark prison.
The next morning, the pagans took St. Mark from the prison. They tied his neck with a thick rope and did the same as the day before, dragging him over the rocks and stones. Finally, St. Mark delivered up his pure soul in the hand of God, and received the crown of [[martyr]]dom, the apostolic crown, the crown of evangelism, and the crown of virginity.
