Written By: Nermine Sami Abd El Fattah.

20-10-2003.

While you are visiting the ancient part of Cairo city, you should not miss the chance of spending a pleasant evening at The Citadel of Mohammed Ali in �Mokattam area�.

Attending one of the most amazing Egyptian Folk musical nights called �El Tanoura Show�,it's performed on an outdoor stage by �El Tanoura Troupe for the Cultural Heritage�; which has given varied performances in over 30 countries, there are no entry fees ,it�s a courtesy of The Egyptian ministry of Culture to Egypt's visitors.

The Show commences at 8:00 pm during the summer and early at 7:00 pm (winter time), for 3 days a week on Saturday, Monday and Wednesday.

*The Show:
At the beginning of the show , Selections of passages of Folkloric music will be played by local Egyptian musicians, previewing The Egypt�s musical heritage.

Then comes �The Tanoura �Presentation Dance and lastly they end the show with the very special spiritual Whirling Dervish (Darawish) performing.

'Darawish'  is a Turkish word to describe the Sufi person who  is the one comes at doors to enlighten people and he is a member of a Muslim religious order noted for devotional exercises (as bodily movements leading to a trance)

* The meaning of Dancer�s movements:
-As the major Tanoura dancer moves himself around, the other dancers start to follow in his dancing steps by whirling around him in a great harmony,in order  to act out the movement of the planets on space around the sun.

-The Tanoura dancer unties the four different skirts (Tanoura) to roll them round his moving body during the finale, their various rounds symbolize the succession of the four seasons, and their anti-clock wise movement is a symbol of the movement that the  Muslims usually do around �The Kaaba� (the holy shrine in Mecca) during the Pilgrimage.
Citadel of Mohamed Ali(in Mokkatam ),where the dervish show is performed.
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Shots have  been taken of Tanoura Dancers
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**The History of Sufism& Dervish:
-Sufism is the faith of Spirituality in Islam Religion which accepts the concept that all Divine Religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam  ) have one message ,Sufism is basically founded upon the universal and unconditional forgiveness.

- The branch of Sufi Mysticism practised widely in Turkey where it was begun by a man called �Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi� (Ottoman Empire -13th Century A.D.),this branch was famous for its Whirling Dervish Tradition  ,and from here it came the relation between Sufism and Dervish.
With relation to this, certainly there is no comparison between the Egyptian Dervish show and The Sufi Whirling Dervish performing in Turkey, as each show has a different perspective on the music and art it presents,Moreover the Turkish Whirling Dervish is a kind of religious ceremony.

The beauty of the Egyptian Dervish performance is that you�ll completely interact emotionally & physically with  the music and  entertaining Melody.

                                      You�ll definitely enjoy your time in Tanoura Show.
Photos Copyrights� to:
Nermine Sami/Diaa Khalil&Nancy Awbery
Hosted by www.Geocities.ws

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