📰 Egypt · page 6

Largest cities

See also: List of cities and towns in Egypt

Culture

Main article: Culture of Egypt

Egypt is a recognised cultural trendsetter of the Arabic-speaking world.538 Contemporary Arabic and Middle-Eastern culture is heavily influenced by Egyptian literature, music, film and television.539 Egypt gained a regional leadership role during the 1950s and 1960s, giving a further enduring boost to the standing of Egyptian culture in the Arabic-speaking world.[324]540

Egyptian identity evolved in the span of a long period of occupation to accommodate Islam, Christianity and Judaism; and a new language, Arabic, and its spoken descendant, Egyptian Arabic, which has a significant Coptic-Egyptian substrate.[325]541

The work of early 19th century scholar Rifa'a al-Tahtawi renewed interest in Egyptian antiquity and exposed Egyptian society to Enlightenment principles.542 Tahtawi co-founded with education reformer Ali Mubarak a native Egyptology school that looked for inspiration to medieval Egyptian scholars, such as Suyuti and Maqrizi, who themselves studied the history, language and antiquities of Egypt.[326]543

Egypt's renaissance peaked in the late 19th and early 20th centuries through the work of people like Muhammad Abduh, Ahmed Lutfi el-Sayed, Muhammad Loutfi Goumah, Tawfiq el-Hakim, Louis Awad, Qasim Amin, Salama Moussa, Taha Hussein and Mahmoud Mokhtar.544 They forged a liberal path for Egypt expressed as a commitment to personal freedom, secularism and faith in science to bring progress.[327]545

Arts

Main article: Contemporary art in Egypt, Art of ancient Egypt

See also: Architecture of Egypt

The Egyptians were one of the first major civilisations to codify design elements in art and architecture.546 Egyptian blue, also known as calcium copper silicate, is a pigment used by Egyptians for thousands of years.547 It is considered to be the first synthetic pigment.548 The wall paintings done in the service of the Pharaohs followed a rigid code of visual rules and meanings.549 Egyptian civilisation is renowned for its colossal pyramids, temples and monumental tombs.550 Well-known examples are the Pyramid of Djoser designed by ancient architect and engineer Imhotep, the Sphinx, and the temple of Abu Simbel.551

Modern and contemporary Egyptian art spans disciplines from the vernacular architecture of Hassan Fathy and Ramses Wissa Wassef to the iconic sculptures of Mahmoud Mokhtar and the distinctive Coptic iconography of Isaac Fanous.552 Its development in the twentieth century reflected a complex dialogue between national identity, global artistic trends, and social change.553 Early modern Egyptian artists sought to reconnect with their national heritage through Neo-Pharaonic styles in architecture, sculpture, and painting, with artists such as Mahmoud Mokhtar and Mahmoud Sa'id incorporating symbolic references to ancient Egypt and rural life.[328][329]554

Later generations embraced international movements like Surrealism, Cubism, Dadaism, and abstraction, while the Art et Liberté group, including Ramses Younan, promoted individual expression and antifascist ideals.[328]555 The Contemporary Art Group, with artists such as Gazbia Sirry and Abdel Hadi Al Gazzar, explored social realism and the quest for the Egyptian soul, while experimental painters and sculptors like Munir Canaan and Salah Abdel Kerim explored Abstract Expressionism and assemblage.[328]556 In the latter half of the century, artists responded to political and cultural shifts with Islamic-inspired calligraphy and geometric abstraction, exemplified by the Calligraphic School of Art.[328]557 Other notable artists from this era include Inji Efflatoun and Kamal Amin.558

The launch of institutions such as the Townhouse Gallery in 1998 democratised art access and introduced new media forms like video and installation art,[330] providing a platform for younger artists such as Fathi Hassan, Ghada Amer, Medhat Shafik, Moataz Nasr, and Mona Marzouk to experiment with installation, video, and photography.[328]559 The 2011 Egyptian revolution ushered in a new era of politically and socially engaged art.560 Graffiti emerged as a prominent medium to document protests and communicate revolutionary messages,[331] with artists like Bahia Shehab, Alaa Awad, Aya Tarek, and Ganzeer creating works that memorialised martyrs, critiqued political figures, and reclaimed public spaces.[332]561

Khayamiya is a traditional Egyptian appliqué textile art primarily made in Cairo's historic ShareʿEl Khayamiya (شارع الخيامية), also known as the Tentmakers Market.562 The craft, thought to date back to ancient Egypt, involves a labour-intensive hand-stitching process that can take weeks to complete, with designs ranging from geometric motifs to scenes drawn from Egyptian history and folklore.563 It was originally associated with decorated tents, but today it is also used for quilts, cushion covers, and wall hangings.[333]564

The Cairo Opera House is Egypt's main performing arts venue, with the Sayed Darwish Theatre in Alexandria and the Port Said Opera House in Port Said serving their respective cities.565 In 2012 the Downtown Contemporary Arts Festival (D-CAF) was launched to revitalise Cairo's cultural scene and to provide an inclusive platform for contemporary arts.566 It is an annual arts festival held in Cairo, Egypt, presenting a range of performances, exhibitions, and workshops in theatre, dance, and visual arts.[334]567

Literature

Main article: Egyptian literature

The literary tradition of Egypt began in ancient Egypt, making it among the earliest in human history.568 Writing was first used by Egyptians to record texts on materials such as papyrus and carved inscriptions.[335]569 The Story of Sinuhe is perhaps its best-known work;[336] and the autobiography has been called the earliest form of Egyptian literature.[337]570 By the eighth century Egypt became part of the Muslim Arab world.571 Literature and libraries thrived under the new order, papyrus was replaced by paper, and calligraphy became central.[338]572 In the 13th century, Ibn al-Nafis wrote Theologus Autodidactus, a theological novel with proto-science fiction elements.[339]573 Literary practices such as the taqriz (commendatory blurbs) appeared in 14th-century Egypt,[340] and Egyptian folklore contributed to One Thousand and One Nights.[341]574

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Egypt was central to the Nahda, the Arab cultural renaissance.[342]575 Muhammad Abduh, a leading figure of Islamic modernism,[343] co-founded the revolutionary journal Al-Urwah al-Wuthqa with Jamal al-Din al-Afghani in 1884; though quickly banned by the British, it circulated widely across the Arab world.[344][345][346][347]576 Ahmad Shawqi pioneered the expansion of the classical qasida form, though his work remained firmly rooted in neo-classical style.577 Following him, poets such as Hafez Ibrahim began addressing themes of anticolonialism alongside traditional poetic subjects.[348]578 Muhammad Husayn Haykal's Zaynab is considered the first modern Egyptian novel.[349]579 This novel started a movement of modernising Arabic fiction.[348]580 Poetry remained vibrant, with figures such as Aziz Pasha Abaza contributing classical-style verse with Pan-Arabism themes.581 The Abaza family produced several notable literary figures, including Fekry Pasha Abaza, Tharwat Abaza, and Desouky Pasha Abaza.[350][351]582

In the 20th century, modernist movements shaped Egyptian literature.583 Al-Madrasa al-Ḥadītha focused on the short story,[352] while two of the most prominent figures were Taha Hussein and Naguib Mahfouz, the latter the first Egyptian and Arabic-language writer to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature.584 Avant-garde literary activity emerged through magazines like Galerie 68, founded by Edwar al-Kharrat, giving voice to Egypt's 1960s generation.[353]585

In the 1990s, Egyptian literature responded to socio-economic changes such as urbanisation and rising living costs, focusing on isolated individuals in a changing society, exemplified by Mustafa Zikri, Nura Amin, and May Telmissany.[354]586 This era also saw the rise of women writers, often called kitabat al-banat ("girls' writing"), with shorter, first-person narratives.[355][356]587

Egyptians constitute the largest share of shortlisted authors for the International Prize for Arabic Fiction, with Bahaa Taher's Sunset Oasis winning the inaugural edition in 2008, followed the next year by Youssef Ziedan's Azazeel.[357]588 Other notable contemporary authors include Radwa Ashour, acclaimed for the Granada trilogy; Ahdaf Soueif, whose English-language novel The Map of Love was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 1999; Ahmed Khaled Tawfik, who introduced horror and science fiction to Egyptian literature with his Ma Waraa al-Tabiaa series; and Ahmed Mourad, known for bestselling novels such as Vertigo and The Blue Elephant.[358]589 Feminist themes are explored by Nawal El Saadawi and Alifa Rifaat, while vernacular poetry is represented by Ahmed Fouad Negm, Salah Jaheen, and Abdel Rahman el-Abnudi.[359]590

Media

Main article: Media of Egypt

See also: List of radio stations in Egypt

Egypt is a major regional media hub, with its press among the most influential in the Arab world.591 The printing press was first introduced to Egypt by Napoleon Bonaparte during his French Campaign in Egypt and Syria.[360]592 Alexandria was the centre of Egyptian journalism for much of the 1800s,[361] with many literary journals starting there before moving to Cairo corpus.[362]593 By the 1890s, Cairo had become dominant, hosting 65% of publications, while Alexandria accounted for 28%.[361]594 The written press in Egypt today is highly diverse, with more than 600 newspapers, journals, and magazines.[363]595 The three leading state-owned press institutions are Al-Ahram, Al-Akhbar and Dar Al-Tahrir,[364] the latter being a major publishing house that issues a wide range of newspapers and magazines in different languages, including Al-Gomhuria, The Egyptian Gazette, Le Progrès Egyptien, among others.[365]596

Egypt was the first country in the region to introduce radio broadcasts to a wide population in 1926, initially through private short-wave stations with limited range, primarily located between Cairo corpus and Alexandria.[366]597 The official Egyptian radio service launched on 31 May 1934, with the first broadcast featuring Muhammad Rifat, a Quran reciter.[366]598 Following the 1952 Egyptian Revolution, radio became a central tool of state communication and regional influence.599 Under President Gamal Abdel Nasser, Egypt developed the Voice of the Arabs (صوت العرب) service, launched in the 1950s as one of the most prominent Arabic-language broadcasts of its time.[367]600 Initially modest in size, Egypt's radio system was rapidly expanded by the revolutionary government.601 It was used to promote Arab unity, strengthen Egypt's leadership role in the region, often calling for solidarity and revolutionary action, particularly during the 1950s and 1960s.[367]602 Contemporary radio in Egypt is largely operated by the Egyptian Radio and Television Union (ERTU), established in 1970, which manages multiple national and local stations.603 Private FM stations also exist, but state radio remains the most widespread.604 Programming includes news, cultural content, educational programmes.[364]605

Egyptian television began in 1960 when Channel 1 launched with Quran readings and a speech by President Nasser, followed by Channel 2 in 1961 offering cultural, informational, and instructional programmes.606 Over the following decades, additional channels were launched regionally.[364]607 In the 21st century, Egypt's television and film industry continue to supply much of the region through Cairo's Media Production City.608 Television remains the most popular medium in the country, with ERTU operating two national terrestrial channels, six local terrestrial channels covering all 27 governorates, three satellite channels, and over ten specialised channels, including news, sport, culture, education, and entertainment.[364]609 In addition, numerous private satellite television channels operate alongside the state networks.[364]610 Egypt is a major force in satellite broadcasting, being the first Arab country to launch its own satellite, Nilesat.611

Cinema

Main article: Cinema of Egypt

Egyptian cinema, the oldest in Africa and the Arab world, began in 1896 with film screenings in Alexandria, Cairo corpus, and Port Said.612 Early production started in 1907 with short documentaries, and the first feature films appeared in 1917, directed by Mohammed Karim.613 By the 1920s and 1930s, the country's film scene expanded with productions such as Layla and Sons of Aristocrats, the first Egyptian talkie.[368]614 In 1936, Studio Misr, financed by industrialist Talaat Harb, emerged as the leading Egyptian studio, a role the company retained for three decades.[369]615 For over 100 years, more than 4,000 films have been produced in Egypt, three quarters of the total Arab production.[370][371]616

The industry has been a dominant cultural force in the Arab world since its inception, earning the nickname "Arab Hollywood" and "Hollywood of the East".[372][373][368]617 Its golden age, spanning the 1940s to the 1960s, saw Egypt become the world's third-largest film producer, with hundreds of films across genres achieving widespread regional popularity.[372]618 Iconic filmmakers such as Youssef Chahine and Henry Barakat, and celebrated actors including Faten Hamama, helped establish Egyptian cinema as a major influence on Arab cultural identity.619 Today, Egyptian films continue to reach audiences across the Arab world and beyond, maintaining the country's historic role as a central hub for Arabic-language cinema.[372]620

Egypt hosts several film festivals, which have become important platforms for both local and international filmmakers.621 The Cairo International Film Festival, established in 1976, showcases a range of films from dramas to experimental works and attracts filmmakers and audiences from around the world.[374]622 It is listed by the International Federation of Film Producers' Associations as one of the 11 competitive film festivals in the world.[375]623 The Luxor African Film Festival highlights African cinema, while the El Gouna Film Festival presents Arabic and international films.624 Other notable events include the Ismailia International Film Festival, which focuses on social and environmental themes, and the Alexandria Short Film Festival, which features narrative, documentary, and animated short films.[374]625

The number of cinemas increased with the emergence of talking films, and reached 395 in 1958.626 This number began to decline after the establishment of television in 1960 and the establishment of the public sector in cinemas in 1962.627 The cinema count fell to 297 in 1965, then to 141 in 1995, due to the circulation of films through video equipment though the boom of the film industry in this period.628 Due to laws and procedures that encouraged investment in the establishment of private cinemas, they increased again, especially in commercial centres.629 Their number reached 200 in 2001 and 400 in 2009.[376][377]630

Music

Main article: Music of Egypt

Egyptian music is a rich mixture of indigenous, Mediterranean, African and Western elements.631 It has been an integral part of Egyptian culture since antiquity.632 The ancient Egyptians credited one of their gods Hathor with the invention of music, which Osiris in turn used as part of his effort to civilise the world.633 Egyptians used music instruments since then.[378]634