Most Egyptian villages and towns,have saints, sheiks or Imams who

are well respected by the people. Theyhave been honoured with burials inmausoleums, sanctuaries, mosques orzawias, bearing their names. People visittheir tombs to profit from blessings andtheir gifts, as a sign of recognition forthe services rendered to Islam.

Fatimides traditions for IslamicfestivitiesThe celebration of Mawlid and thevarious Islamic festivities have a specificoriginal character in Egypt whichcreates joy and gaiety in the hearts ofthe people. The Egyptians are attachedto the Fatimid traditions which arecommon to all Islamic celebrations inthe country.In Egypt the special dishes are preparedfor specific events. On the morning of1st Moharrem, the first day of the NewHegira Year, the Egyptians take

> Cairo - Mouchiraand Mounir El Fishawy

RELIGIOUSTOURISM

The Egyptians are ingenious in organizing festivities for religious occasions, especially thesaints’ birthdays. The most important is Mawlid the birthday of Prophet Mohammedcelebrated throughout the country. This is followed by the birthdays of Imam Hussein Ben AliBen Abi Taleb, grandson of the Prophet (the grandson from his daughter Fatimah) and ofZainab, Nafissa and Aisha. The festivities take place in Cairo’s streets in front of the saints’mosques. They are followed in importance by the birthdays of Sayed Al Badawi, in Tanta, inthe Western Province, located 97 kms from Cairo and Sayed Al Morsi Abu Al Abbas inAlexandria, 230 km from Cairo.

Celebrating The Saints’Birthdays In Egypt:

64Islamic Tourism – Issue 26 – November-December / 2006 For more information, visit our website www.islamictourism.com

Transforming Nights IntoIlluminated Days

The people flock to Hussein Square on Imam Hussein’s birthday(´) Ú°ù◊G ΩÉeE’G ódƒe á∏«d ‘ Ú∏ØàÙÉH ßàµj Ú°ù◊G ¿Gó«e

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RELIGIOUSTOURISM

breakfast with “el mahlabiya”, a dishcontaining rice, milk and sugar, hopingthe New Year will be as white as milkand as soft as sugar. During the monthof Ramadan, they consume enormousquantities of pastry cakes: “el kanafa”and “el qataef”, containing flour,stuffed with dried grapes and otheringredients, covered with honey or sugarsyrup. With the approach of Eid El Fitr(the end of the Ramadan festival),Egyptians devote themselves to thepreparation or purchase of waferscovered with frozen sugar, a cake called“el ghribiya” and biscuits.Two weeks before the festival of thebirthday of Prophet Mohammedthousands of cakes, made especially forthis occasion, are sold. The most popularare various types of disc-shaped, whitecookies including a sesame cookieknown as “assamsamiya” al folfoliyamade from Sudanese beans, “alhommossiya” made from chick peas and“aqrass al alaf” made from sesameseeds, beans and chick peas.There are also numerous disc shapedcakes: “al halqoum al moulabban”, “aljazriya”, “achakarlama” and “alladida”,prepared with coconut, honey andvarious local ingredients. The mostmagnificent cake, in the shape of abride, is made from pure sugar anddecorated with shining papers.

Aspects of the celebrationof MawlidThe festivities of Mawlid are preceded bypreparations which start about fifteendays earlier. Volunteers from eachdistrict and followers of the wali (holyperson) proceed to decorate the holyplaces with multicoloured lamps andbanners - expressions of praise for thewali. Large tents are erected for peopleof limited means coming from otherprovinces and for meetings of Dikr,where popular singers invoke thequalities and good deeds of the wali,accompanied by popular folkloricmusical instruments, such as rababa a(single string instrument), mazamir (akind of trumpet) nay (a flute, with six

ôcòdG äÉ≤∏M ióMEGDhikir

ódƒŸÉH ∫ÉØàM’G áé¡H ¿ƒ°û«©j ∫ÉØWC’GChildren enjoying the celebration

The celebrations of the birthdays of the walis aretransformed into popular festivals;, the poor arehappier than the rich who capitalise on these occasionsto offer food, clothes and money to the less fortunate.

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The celebration of Mawlid and the various Islamicfestivities have a specific original character in Egyptwhich creates joy and gaiety in the hearts of the people.“ “

Islamic Tourism – Issue 26 – November-December / 2006 For more information, visit our website www.islamictourism.com

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music instruments such as the mazamir.The impressive and multicoloured lightstransform the nights into illuminateddays.During these noisy festivities, itinerantsalesmen do all they can to sell rosaries,carpets, toys and leather products. Onealso finds many stalls with various cheappopular meals such as “al kochari”(containing rice, macaroni and lentilsmixed with a reddish sauce and spices),broad beans and falafel, chick-peas, “elmehlabiya”, “el jili”, rice pudding, “elbasbousa”, “el kanafa” and “el baja”(the head and limbs of the sheep),sheeps’ intestines stuffed with rice etcShops stalls, cafes and restaurants

RELIGIOUSTOURISM

holes representing the musical scale),drums and dofouf. They create anenvironment of joy and make theaudience happy. Some of the followerstranscend into a self induced trancethrough various sufi rituals and loseconsciousness completely. There are many other festive activitiesincluding plays performed by men andwomen, rifle shooting (with the “almelabban” cake as a reward), powergames, such as weight lifting andpushing a metal box to explode the smallbomb located at the end of the line),dances with sticks which create thesound of music and cockfights. Horsesalso dance to the sound of popular

Islamic Tourism – Issue 26 – November-December / 2006 For more information, visit our website www.islamictourism.com

The archetype is thefestival of the Mawlid ofthe Prophet, known inEgypt as the “GreatNight”, which finishes atdawn the next day,leaving those whocelebrated it with anoverwhelming sense ofjoy and peace.

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ôcòdG äÉ≤∏M ióMEGDhikiráHÉHôdG ±RÉYThe Rababa player

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RELIGIOUSTOURISM

The archetype is the festival of theMawlid of the Prophet, known in Egyptas the “Great Night”, which finishes at

dawn the next day, leaving those whocelebrated it with an overwhelmingsense of joy and peace.

During these noisy festivities, itinerant salesmen do allthey can to sell rosaries, carpets, toys and leatherproducts. One also finds many stalls with various cheappopular meals such as "al kochari"

Volunteers from each district and followers of the wali(holy person) proceed to decorate the holy places withmulticoloured lamps and banners - expressions of praisefor the wali.

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á«Ñ©°ûdG Ëôc ¢ùjB’G áHôYThe ice cream cart

remain open until morning. The eatingplaces are packed: some customersprefer fresh drinks, such as fresh juices“el korkodiya”, of turmeric and otherstypically Egyptian drinks, in addition totea and coffee and “shisha” seasonedwith different flavoured tobacco, sugarcane, apple, banana and other fruits.The celebrations of the birthdays of thewalis are transformed into popularfestivals;, the poor are happier thanthe rich who capitalise on theseoccasions to offer food, clothes andmoney to the less fortunate.Everyone is happy; all the party goersforget their concerns and cometogether in a sense of solidarity whenthe various mawlids are celebrated.

People getting ready for a holy birthday celebration

â«ÑdG ∫BG ódGƒe óMÉH ∫ÉØàM’G AÉæKCG øjOÉ«ŸG óMCG øe ÖfÉL

Islamic Tourism – Issue 26 – November-December / 2006 For more information, visit our website www.islamictourism.com