What is Characters of Egypt ?
Characters of Egypt is a festival held in Egypt which aims at
connecting the different tribes together. This started when the elders
of some tribes sat together one evening near Marsa Alam to discuss the
issues that the many tribes and communities were facing. The most common
of all issues was the lack of judicial law. As communities being close,
so it became really difficult to judge any case fairly. This led the
elderly to come to a decision, wherein a new system was adopted. Under
this new system an impartial judge was send from one tribe to another to
solve the cases and ensure a free and fair justice for everyone.
Characters of Egypt thus became as the biggest cultural festival of the
country which aimed at fulfilling this one decided aim. The event is
organized on a large scale and invites tribes from all over Egypt, The
Nile Valley, Sinai Peninsula and more. It’s held annually and aims to
help the diverse tribes get connected while exposing them the respective
and unique culture of each other. Also, the local and foreign tourists
get to learn about the music, dance, poetry, sports, education and
attend tribal meetings which gives them an insight about these tribes of
Egypt.
Significance of Characters of Egypt
Egypt is a home to 45 tribes who live nomadic life here with
approximately 300,000 people. Every tribe in Egypt is unique and
signifies a diversified range in terms of customs, language, way of life
and more. Every tribe has a contact person who helps in gathering
groups of people participating in development, sports, law and culture.
The experience is truly an amazing one to help anyone get close to the
culture. The event is held once every year for three days.
The Event
The event is founded and managed by Fustat Wadi El Gemal, who manages
the eco-lodge, the venue where Characters of Egypt is organized every
year. There are many volunteers who help in making the event a success.
It was Gemal who decided along with a group of people of putting the
initiative together of travelling around Egypt for eight months, meeting
the different tribes and convincing them to participate in this event
aimed at connecting them together. The festival aimed at making people
of different tribes understand that they are all at the same level and
share common worries and grievances, which can be resolved or at least
lessened only by coming together. The festival helps in grouping
together the different characters that Egypt veils as a diverse land and
a country housing many tribes together.The final Word
The three day festival of the Characters of Egypt gives visitors the chance to attend a cultural feast that’s difficult to witness elsewhere. There are many sports events which are held with a friendly mood but a competitive spirit in mind. Also, there are musical events where tribes perform on their traditional music using traditional instruments. In addition to this there are sessions on water conservation, green tourism, storytelling, poetry, and open tribe meetings.
Overall the event offers an amazing mix of culture and tradition and is for any person seeking to experience an insight into the Egyptian culture, but with a different perspective
