Luxor, Egypt: A Parade with Its Roots in Antiquity

Once a year, the city of Luxor, Egypt throws a 3-day party celebrating the moulid (birth date) of the 13th century Sufi leader Sheikh Yusuf al-Haggag, who was also known as “Abu al-Haggag”, “father of the pilgrims”. Tourists from other parts of Egypt often come to Luxor to join the party. I’ve been to the moulid twice: once in 2018, and again in 2019.

Over the course of the event, people celebrate with tahtib (martial art) competitions for the men, carnival rides for the children, pilgrimages to the Abu al-Haggag Mosque, Sufi zikrs (rituals), horse racing, and more. Continue reading “Luxor, Egypt: A Parade with Its Roots in Antiquity”

Backbends of Dancers in Ancient Egypt

Our stereotypes of ancient Egyptian dance involve awkward-looking poses with right-angle positions of the elbow and wrist.  People assume that such images appeared on temple and tomb walls.  But, did they? Here’s a look at some of the dance scenes appearing in temples and tombs in Egypt. Continue reading “Backbends of Dancers in Ancient Egypt”