Beyond the Pyramids: “Mysterious Egypt” Photo Exhibition Brings Everyday Egyptian Life to Paris

 A new photography exhibition at the Carrousel du Louvre in Paris offers a rare glimpse into the daily lives of Egyptians. Featuring 22 images by Mohamed Kamal and Mahmoud Hawari, “Mysterious Egypt” runs until March 15.

Tucked within the bustling passageways of the Carrousel du Louvre in Paris, an exhibition is quietly offering visitors something unexpected: a view of Egypt that never appears on tourist postcards.

Through 22 photographic works, “Égypte Mystérieuse – Mysterious Egypt: Intersecting Visions of Photographers” presents a raw, contemporary portrait of the country. On display in the Galerie Rivoli and the Galerie du Carrousel until March 15, the exhibition showcases the work of Egyptian photographers Mohamed Kamal and Mahmoud Hawari, who turn their lenses away from the ancient monuments and toward the people, places, and rhythms of everyday Egyptian life.

An Egyptian Point of View

For Mohamed Kamal, one of the exhibiting artists, the project is about reclaiming the narrative. “The exhibition represents a clear vision in selecting the images,” he explains. “They depict the daily lives of people in Egypt and their connection to the places and environments they come from.”

The photographs were taken across Egypt, from the northern Delta to the southern villages of Upper Egypt. “This is Egypt as seen through the eyes of its people,” Kamal tells Bab Masr, “far removed from the tourist gaze.”

Stéphane Rovillé-Meret, the exhibition’s curator, echoes that sentiment. “Through this event, we want to send a message,an invitation to discover Egypt as it truly is, through the eyes of these two photographers,” he says. “You see Egypt here, you dream about it through these images, and then you go there to meet its people, to share in their daily lives.”

His advice to visitors? “Don’t go just as a tourist. Go to discover Egypt through Egyptians and their lives. That’s the only way to truly know the country. For me, that’s the heart of it.”

Hawari and the Heritage of the South

The curator explains why Kamal and Hawari were chosen for this project. “Mahmoud Hawari has dedicated his life to photographing Upper Egypt,its people, its traditions, its landscapes,” Rovillé-Meret says. “His work is a testament to his belonging to Egypt and its heritage, expressed through his lens.”

Hawari’s images capture how ancient customs persist in the present. His subjects include farmers, horsemen, and artisans practising traditions that have endured for millennia. The photographs document tahteeb, the stick-fighting martial art inherited from ancient Egypt, which is still practiced today and has been inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Other images show al-meramah, a traditional javelin-throwing sport.

“Hawari is preserving this extraordinary living heritage of Egypt,” Rovillé-Meret adds. “It’s a legacy passed down through generations, kept alive by the young. That deeply moved him.”

Kamal and the People of the Sea

In contrast, Mohamed Kamal brings a journalist’s eye to the exhibition. A published photographer who has collaborated with Egyptian and French media outlets and won numerous awards, Kamal presents a series of urban and human landscapes.

His images capture the vibrant pulse of Cairo, the dramatic mountains of Sinai, the potters at work in their workshops, and the fishermen of Port Said with their nets and time-honored traditions. These are vivid, unposed moments,scenes from Egyptian life that tourists rarely see, but that make up the fabric of daily existence for millions.

International Patronage and Strategic Partnerships

The exhibition is held under the patronage of Egypt’s Ministry of Culture and the Egyptian Embassy in France, with support from the Central Paris City Hall (Mairie de Paris Centre). It is produced by Royal Group and organized by the Cultural Activities Committee of Paris’s 1st arrondissement (Comité d’animation culturelle Paris 1).

For Marie Mauvage, Director of the Carrousel du Louvre, hosting the exhibition is a natural fit. “The Carrousel du Louvre is an iconic Parisian landmark that offers visitors unique access to arts and culture,” she says. “Through the ‘Mysterious Egypt’ exhibition, we highlight Egypt’s millennia-old heritage while celebrating contemporary creativity. It offers a rich cultural experience in the heart of the capital.”

A Different Audience, A Different Perspective

Kamal sees the Paris exhibition as an invaluable opportunity to reach a new audience. “It’s a great chance to share my work with a European audience, different from the one I usually engage with in Egypt,” he tells Bab Masr.

An award-winning photographer whose accolades include prizes from National Geographic, the Arab Photographers Union, the European Union, Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism, and the Photography Division of the Journalists Syndicate, Kamal is no stranger to international recognition.

But showing his work in Paris carries a particular resonance. “In Egypt, people might see these images as just snapshots of the life they witness every day,things they don’t always notice,” he reflects. “But presenting them to a European audience offers a completely different perspective. They’re not used to seeing Egypt like this. The promotional images always focus on temples and monuments. This is something else entirely. This is real life.”