Moulid of Abu al-Haggag
Luxor's Festival of the Year
The Moulid of Abu el Haggag is an annual event in Luxor that is perhaps the pinnacle of the city’s festival calendar, since it is attended by locals of all faiths and ages. Luxor and its environs celebrate throughout the month of Sha’ban. This specific moulid is an excellent technique of bridging the gap between the past and the present.
One of the biggest and most famous moulid is that in the city of Luxor in honor of Sheikh Yousef Abu Al Haggag. Let yourself get caught by the vibrating energy of the celebrations and the hypnotic sound of the zikr in the background.
Observe the agility, promptness and cleverness of the tahtib champions in one of the competitions. It’s simply amazing watching how fight and dance, virility and smoothness intertwine.
In the mirmah, horse races and the art of tahtib are intertwined. That race allows horse riders to display not only their magnificent horses, but also their ability of riding while balancing a massive stick known as “zaana.” Actually, the challenge is to stay balanced on the back of a racing horse while gripping the 3 metre long stick and finishing the race with a swift tahib “fight.”
The day of the dora is actually the last day of the moulid and the “leil al kabira” – the big night, where everyone abandons to the sound of the zikr.
