As an opposite to what one may think, some places come to life once it gets dark. So is the case of Cairo's Islamic district (or also referred to as Medieval Cairo). The star-covered night was made invisible because of the light coming from vegetable markets and small coffeehouses or ahwas, so traditional in the egyptian capital. Sometimes tucked away inside old buildings or right beside the bazaars, ahwas are also beloved getaways from the city's hectic lifestyle.
For me, this is something unprecedented. Back home in Panama City it's actually rare to see so much movement in public spaces; the city's nightlife takes place inside buildings: bars, hotels, restaurants. But here in Egypt, everything seems to happen outside and with the participation of everyone! Even in Wurzburg you would never see this much people, unless it's summer or if the weather is appropriate enough to sip on your Frankenwein on the Old Main bridge. In Cairo you actually get the feeling that the day has just started for many, if not for all...
Before I could get a better idea of egyptian nightlife, my uncle Ulises and his wife Lauren took me to the Wikala al-Ghouri, a historic building which now functions pretty much only as an art center. A wikala or khan, as I mentioned in my previous posts, was an inn for traders coming from everywhere and also worked as marketplaces. These wikalas (khans or caravanserais) were very important to the development of trade routes and commerce. About Wikala El-Ghouri, it was built during the Mameluke reign and is made up of four floors which face a rectangular-shaped courtyard whose center is a lovely mosaic fountain.
This fantastic medieval monument serves as the perfect setting for the El-Tanoura Troupe, or the tanoura dance, which I also had the pleasure to observe earlier that evening during a street show probably organised by the Ministry of Tourism to attract tourists back to Egypt. Tourism has been seriously affected due to the mostly negative headlines in newspapers worldwide that displayed the political instability and insecurity after the 2011 revolution and 2013 overthrow of President Morsi. The tourism industry is one of the most important sectors in egyptian economy in terms of high employment, hence many people were left without jobs.
El-Tanoura is a traditional egyptian folk dance performed by Sufi men. Sufism is the mystical side of Islam. This dance is mostly performed at Sufi festivals or to entertain tourists visiting the country. The Tanoura dance consists of several elements, one of them is the presence of musicians that play traditional instruments such as drums, flutes and cymbals. The most impressive part of this dance is the whirling of the tanoura dancers, who spin in a circular movement and in their own axis without feeling dizzy! The dancers remove up to 4 colorful skirts while they're spinning and their pace changes to match the enchanting music...
Sufi whirling is all about establishing a connection to God/The Creator. They belief that the circular movement represents the circle of life and the universe and the idea that the movement in our world starts at some point and ends at the same point. It is said that when the dancer turns himself around, he enters a trance-like state that connects him with his creator.
As I was watching the Tanoura Troupe perform, I couldn't help feeling this connection, this need to contact with both our heavenly and earthbound sides. The music, the whirling and the whole experience is so rich and mystical. At some point, you forget you're just watching a show and you enter the realm of the unexplored feeling that we belong to a greater scheme, a greater plan, disregarded by us, but that governs our lifes and drives us to do or be what we are...
Enough said, these are the images I captured during the Tanoura dance at the Wikala El-Ghouri:
 |
| The first part of the show consists in the presentation of the musicians and their instruments. |
 |
| When the dancers start to turn themselves around, they remove their colorful skirts and spin them in the air |
 |
| The performance of this young man was simply astonishing: everything, from the way he moved to his facial expressions, indicated deep concentration and love to the Tanoura dance. |
 |
| Sufi whirling is about establishing a connection to God/the Creator |
 |
| After whirling it is so impressive how they don't feel dizzy at all! |
 |
| Tanoura dancers remove up to 4 skirts during their performance |
 |
| Music and singing are very important parts of the Tanoura dance. The dancers move to match the speed of the music, which varies during the show. |
 |
| A musician of the Tanoura troupe plays a flute. |
 |
| This drummer played an amazing solo during the show. Fascinating! |
 |
| The man standing behind would play the cymbals at different speeds and the tanoura dancers would move to match the sound of them. |
 |
| He delivered a funny and incredible performance. |
If you ever visit Cairo, don't miss the experience of the El-Tanoura dance. The days of shows are Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays at 7:00 pm and the entrance costs 30 Egyptian Pounds (about 4 US dollars) for foreigners at the Wikala al-Ghouri.
After the Tanoura dance, we went to the Abou el-Sid restaurant in Zamalek for one of the best dinner experiences I've ever had! A classic on the Cairo dining scene, Abou el-Sid specializes on traditional egyptian food.
 |
| Sakara beer, one of the egyptian brews. After a long day of exploring, it tasted like glory! |
 |
| The best hosts ever: my uncle Ulises and his wife Lauren at Abou el-Sid restaurant in Zamalek. |
Don't forget to follow the Facebook page: SpiegelEye travel blog
And you can find me on Instagram by @spiegeleyetravel
Until my next post! Inshallah
About the Author
Traveller and writer, 21-years-old. Born in Panama City, German-Panamanian. Journalist. Very fond of every expression of art. I love to learn languages. Constantly living adventures!
0 comentarios