Moulids are Egyptian festivals held to honour a regions local saints and Islamic mystics, and the Moulid of Sayyid Ahmed Al-Badawi, held in the tiny Nile Delta town of Tanta, is one of the largest.
Around two million pilgrims travel to the city to gather around the towns ornate triple domed mosque where festival saint, Al-Badawi is buried. A city of white tents is constructed around the town by religious brotherhoods serving sheesha, tea and sugared nuts. Pilgrims and priests perform chanting prayers and ritual songs and dances to bring them closer to god and their saints during the moulid.
The final night of the eight day long festival is the climax of the chanting and red bannered parades as the brotherhoods founded by Al-Badawi celebrate with a drum ceremony.
The town is crowded and the atmosphere is frenetic, contrasting to Tanta’s normal industrial town vibe.
