‘All Along the Nile Valley’ celebrates Sudanese heritage in Cairo

Reporting and photos by Rana S.

Under the minarets of Cairo’s City of the Dead, El Mahrousa Foundation for Development and Participation, in cooperation with Maq’advert of Sultan Qaitbey (MASQ), organised “All Along the Nile Valley: An Egyptian Sudanese Day” within the Egyptian capital on Saturday, to have a good time the lengthy historical past of cultural trade between the 2 international locations.

Maq’advert Sultan Qaitbey, positioned in a fifteenth Century monumental complicated in Cairo’s Mamluk Desert space, hosted the cultural day celebrating the shared historical past and civilisation between Egypt and Sudan.

Members of the Sudanese neighborhood of all ages participated within the opening of the exhibition, in a cultural combine that introduced collectively Sudanese and Egyptians alike within the embrace of the traditional structure that characterises the City of the Dead, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The day started with an exhibition of Sudanese handmade merchandise, the place attendees may assist Sudanese crafts makers in Cairo and buy conventional Sudanese-style attire and jewelry. Sudanese painters Mohamed Abdallah Oteibi, Khaled Abdelrahman, and Reem El Jeili inaugurated an artwork exhibition adjoining to the bazar.

Oteibi’s exhibition, ‘Love and Peace’, honoured the efforts of these striving for a lifetime of love and peace in opposition to the backdrop of conflict. Ahead of the occasion, Oteibi commented: “What is happening in our beloved Sudan and in several other countries of the world is hideous and grisly. Art and culture, especially visual arts, can create an image of an ideal world where people live in peace and harmony. Can bringing such a world to life in art perhaps help to set people’s minds on building one in reality?”

Khaled Abdelrahman devoted his exhibition, ‘Aged Places’, to historical monuments and heritage buildings, to convey to viewers his thought of the connection between totally different instances and lives. His items harmonised fantastically with the traditional buildings seen within the background by means of the home windows of the exhibition.

Reem El Jeili introduced ‘A Garden of Fake Tulips’, a set of her newest works from Khartoum and Cairo. MASQ described her work as “diving into a deep parallel world of tulips, cats, and female figures, expressing longing for a place and time where human personality can enjoy freedom and fulfilment.”

In the ultimate moments of the occasion, singer Hiba El Gizouli mesmerised the viewers along with her melodious voice. With her rendition of Kadarawiya by the famend Sudanese singer Nour El Jilani, a wave of nostalgia and a profound eager for dwelling swept by means of the Sudanese attendees. People of all ages related profoundly over this cherished music, rising to cheer, sing, dance, and applaud. Hiba herself danced with infectious pleasure, igniting the group’s enthusiasm and prompting loud requires an encore.

In his speech on the finish of the day, El Mahrousa Foundation director Hani Ibrahim burdened the lengthy historical past of cooperation and solidarity between Egypt and Sudan. In a self-proclaimed stance in opposition to hate speech, he informed attendees: “Egypt has long been a haven for all peoples, and this never changes. Everyone is welcome in our beloved country.”

According to the latest International Organisation for Migration (IOM) Sudan Displacement Tracking Matrix, nearly 515,000 individuals have fled Sudan to Egypt for the reason that starting of the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs estimates that roughly 4 million Sudanese individuals name Egypt dwelling.