Qena celebrates the Prophet’s birthday… rituals passed down through generations for centuries

For more than four centuries, Qena has retained its distinctive character in commemorating the Prophet’s birthday. As the occasion approaches, the streets and squares are decorated with lights and banners, and traditional families prepare to welcome visitors, in a scene where the sounds of remembrance and praise of the Prophet mix with the melodies of the local flute, creating a unique atmosphere that reflects the depth of the popular heritage in Upper Egypt.

Manifestations of joy

In villages and hamlets, the nights of the Prophet’s birthday begin with remembrance and Sufi chanting, while the game of “tahtib” occupies its traditional place as one of the most prominent features of the celebrations, where men compete with sticks to the rhythm of the flute amid large crowds of spectators.

The “Mawlid procession” also roams the streets in a majestic parade by horsemen on horses and camels carrying hawajis. It is a scene that encapsulates centuries of popular memory that still resists time and preserves the uniqueness of Upper Egypt in celebrating the Prophet’s birthday.

100 years of woodcutting and nights of remembrance

The Mawlid celebrations in the village of Abbasa, south of Qena, are linked to the name of the Sheikh Younis family, who have been celebrating the occasion for more than 100 years. Men of all ages gather in a large square next to the shrine to play the game of woodcutting, young and old alike, to the tune of the flute.

Sheikh Ahmed Younis, grandson of the founder of the celebration in the village, tells Bab Masr that the purpose of the night is not only to play, but also to gather loved ones and recite the Quran and chants, in a tradition that connects the past with the present and affirms their love for the Prophet.

Yahya Muhammad Ahmad, a 61-year-old stick-fighting player from the village of Hajaza in the Qus district, has been participating in this celebration for seven years in Sheikh Younis Square. He says: “I have been attached to hatib since I was a child, and I make sure to participate in the Mawlid nights every year. After afternoon prayers, we welcome players from all over with Sheikh Younis’ grandchildren, have lunch together, and then the hatib matches begin.”

Families, chanters, and Quran reciters

Ahmed al-Jard, a historian and native of Qena, recalls the names of families associated with the Mawlid in Qena, Luxor, and Sohag for 400 years, such as the Al-Baga, Al-Zaraa, Al-Kamal, and Al-Ashraf families, who organized celebrations in several mosques, including: Sidi Abdel Rahim al-Qana’i, al-Hajjajiyya in Luxor, Sidi al-Qasim in Tahta, and Shandawil Island in Sohag.

He adds that the celebrations included horse shows, flute performances, and dhikr circles, as well as famous singers such as Shawqi al-Qanawi and Sheikh al-Sharif. Stars of recitation in Egypt also participated, led by Abdul Basit Abdul Samad, al-Minshawi, Mohamed Al-Raziqi, Mohamed Hassanein Al-Kalhi, and Abdel-Azim Al-Atwan. Names such as Ahmed Al-Tuni, Al-Tahami, and Al-Dashnawi also stood out in the field of praise.

The Mawlid in the past

The researcher continues: “400 years ago, musical groups roamed the streets of Qena praising the Prophet with beautiful poems, and they would go to large families asking for food, drink, and money. The processions included camels and horses decorated with hawaj, with poems such as ”The Camel is Important to the Prophet.” The Sufi orders participating were the Barhamia, Rifaiya, and Shadhiliya, each with its own character. The Rifaiya, for example, would duel with swords while chanting “Hayya ya hayya” and using tambourines in their dhikr.

He adds that foods associated with the Mawlid included molokhia, mafrouka, zalabia, and qadi’s morsel, which were distributed to the followers throughout the days of celebration.

The doll industry

The Mawlid in Qena was not only about songs and chants, but was also linked to crafts and industries, most notably the Mawlid, which was a fundamental part of the celebrations. In Upper Egypt, it was traditionally made from pure white sugar and decorated by hand with natural colors and simple decorations. Over time, plastic dolls replaced sugar dolls, but they still retain their symbolism as an essential gift during Mawlid.

The talent of Sara Hassan, a girl from the village of Manshaat al-Amari, in designing small dresses turned into a project to make plastic Mawlid doll dresses. She tells Bab Masr: “The idea started when my father me a doll, and I designed a dress for it that my family loved, so I decided to turn my hobby into a source of income.”

Sara explains that she waits for Mawlid every year to launch new designs inspired by her imagination or fashion trends, despite the difficulty of shipping orders. She begins preparations months in advance, traveling to Cairo to buy some materials or ordering them online. She sells her products in several governorates at prices ranging from 350 to 500 pounds, depending on the specifications and size, emphasizing that she does not repeat designs every year.

The ‘’cycle’ procession through the streets during Mawlid

For more than 200 years, the cities of Qus, Naqada, and Dishna have celebrated Mawlid with a majestic procession through the city streets and alleys. Although Qus stopped the celebrations 13 years ago, and Dishna is absent from the scene this year for security reasons, Naqada and Faiha have kept up the tradition, celebrating as usual among modern buildings and old streets.

The sheikhs of the Sufi orders ride on camels, and horses are adorned with horsemen. Cars decorated with young people waving sticks and dancing to the tune of the flute drive by. Their voices rose at times with Sufi chants and songs. Women and girls looked out from the balconies of houses on both sides of the streets, throwing sweets at the passing procession. It was as if the whole city was echoing the chant: “Pray for the chosen prophet.”

The celebrations were not limited to the alleys and squares. They also included praise ceremonies and Sufi processions, including the Marghaniya Khatmiya order in Aswan, which roamed the streets with their flags, chanting words of praise for the Prophet.

The Prophet

Although many details of life have changed, the Mawlid in Qena remains an exceptional occasion that opens the doors of memory to a deep-rooted heritage and gives people a rare moment of shared celebration. The spirituality of the remembrance mixes with the joy of children with sugar puppets, the skill of the elders in woodcutting, and the chants of the singers who continue to repeat: “The camel is important to the Prophet.”