The last sunbeams filtrated a reddish-light that in my eyes seemed to come from another world. This energetic combination of colors was absorbed by the walls and cobblestone streets near Khan el-Khalili Bazaar, where the night slowly took over and a new vibrating side of Cairo came to life.

We found ourselves walking along Al-Muizz Street, one of the oldest streets of the egyptian capital, once the city center during Fatimid rule and according to a United Nations study, the greatest concentration of medieval architecture treasures in the Islamic world. It's simply stunning. You feel almost as if you were a part of this huge open air museum, with real life developing right in front of you. It's a magical scene, Aladdin style.

Out of the blue, we heard the sound of horseshoes stepping on the cobblestone streets and a huge crowd clapping and singing to a distant music that became louder and louder and more penetrating the closer we got. I forced my eyes to stay open while I witnessed one of the most amazing street life scenes I've ever had the pleasure to observe and be a part of. Two men sitting pretty much effortlessly on huge camels (quoting my uncle Ulises, "Sultan camels"), waved proudly the egyptian flag amidst the chanting of the multitude. Behind these camelriders, one man on a black horse escorted the musicians and a group of men holding very colorful skirts over their heads. And now to my favorite part, the musicians that gave rhythim to this incredible display of culture, placed themselves on the sidewalk and made way  to the Tanoura troupe, or tanoura dancers (The men with the skirts). While the audience (including us) gathered around them, I realized there was a stage on the other side of the street which had a banner with an inscription in arabic and Al-Sisi's face on the corner.

 El-Tanoura is an egyptian folk dance performed by Sufi men. Sufism is the mystical dimension of Islam, and the people who practice it are called Sufis. This dance is similar to the Whirling dervishes of the Mevlevi order, which I also had the pleasure to see in Cappadocia, Turkey (You'll be reading about this on my posts about Turkey). At that point, I stopped blinking and held my eyes open to what was a vibrant display of egyptian culture and pride. Photographers, journalists, politicians, passersby and a couple of tourists (mostly koreans and me) took part in a celebration of egyptian tradition held in the streets,where the ongoing enrichment of culture takes place everywhere around the globe.

After the show, two egyptian women approached me and started a conversation. All of a sudden, I was surrounded not by two, but by a large crowd of both men and women, some of them who were dressed really fancy for the occasion. They asked for my email and a picture! I was surprised by this and didn't miss the occasion to ask about the upcoming elections. After all, I had arrived three weeks before egyptians casted their votes to elect a new president. The response was unanimous: Al-Sisi should be elected president, according to my new friends of the egyptian press: "He is the only one that can restore the peace and tranquility to our country shaken by instability and help our economy get back on track". Of course, I think they were not only Al-Sisi supporters, but people that worked for his campaign. As a matter of fact, my uncle told me that this show was probably a part of a strategy to attract tourists that have stopped coming after the Revolution...

Here's a short gallery of the photowalk through the impressive Al-Muizz Street: