Mulid!: Carnivals of Faith

by Tarek Atia

A saint's shrine is the central pivot of a whirl of color, music, dancing, and people, which builds up to the climactic layla kabira, or big night, the last night of the mulid. Colorful crowds, dervishes dancing and chanting, the aroma of fresh food winding through the melee, music, drums, and song--all these propel the visitor into participating in an unforgettable cultural experience that lies at the heart of popular spirituality in Egypt. Sherif Sonbol braves the cheerful chaos to bring back remarkable images of the carnival atmosphere, while Tarek Atia introduces the book, explores the mulid in literature, and profiles some of its colorful personalities. Together they create a celebration of both the riotous color and the vivacity of the mulid as well as its more contemplative side. With extracts from the writings of Abdel-Hakim Kassem, Abdel Malik Nouri, Tawfiq al-Hakim, Naguib Mahfouz, Salwa Bakr, Salah Jahin, and E.W. Lane.

Genres: Egypt

96 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1999

Reviews

[Angela McCallum · Rating 3 out of 5]

I learned that Egyptians and people from Louisiana have a lot more in common than one might think.

It's a nice collection of photographs of religious festivals in Egypt. I love mulids. They're raw and lively and filled with color. The street food is also great.

You can take the girl out of Louisiana, but you can't take Louisiana out of the girl.

[Reem Elsherbini · Rating 3 out of 5]

you can't help but fall in love with the Mulid & Egyptians :)

[Nour · Rating 4 out of 5]

it's more than mulid..all egypt is a real mulid..you just look egyptian eyes.