Cairo, Egypt – Visitors to Egypt, regardless of the length of their stay, will miss out on a quintessential cultural experience if they do not attend a Tanoura (Egyptian folk dance) show. The best venue to witness this mesmerizing performance is at Wekalet El-Ghouri, a historic caravanserai in downtown Cairo, where the show is held three times a week.
The Tanoura show is performed by the Al-Tanoura Heritage Band, a group affiliated with the General Authority for Cultural Palaces under the Ministry of Culture. Formed in February 1988, the band has been captivating audiences year-round at Wekalet El-Ghouri, as well as participating in national events, foreign cultural exchange programs, and international festivals. The band has showcased its art in countries like the US, Canada, Japan, and India.
The Al-Tanoura Heritage Band uses a variety of traditional folk musical instruments, including flutes, drums, and the rebab, a string instrument commonly used in the Middle East. These instruments are integral to the band’s performances, which also feature a popular singer who performs religious songs and a skilled Tanoura dancer.
The Sufi Tanoura dance is characterized by its unique circular movements, which have a philosophical and semantic basis rooted in the Sufi belief that movement in the universe starts and ends at the same point. This concept makes the dance’s movements inherently circular. Despite being a purely religious folk dance, the Tanoura show attracts a diverse audience, including many foreigners who engage with the music, dance, and expressions, even if they do not understand the religious chants that accompany the performance.
The dance is part of the meditation practice of Sufi dervishes, adherents of a little-known Islamic order, who use it to draw closer to God and a higher spiritual state. The word “Tanoura,” which means skirt in Arabic, refers to the colorful, skirt-like garment worn by the dancer. According to Mostafa Moftah, the band’s solo dancer, “A Tanoura dancer has to be filled with purity and love to be able to perform well and touch the audience.”
One of the most captivating parts of the show is when the dancers spin to traditional Upper Egyptian music, creating mesmerizing circles of mixed colors with their arms raised in the air.
The Cultural Development Fund, another affiliate of the Ministry of Culture, supports the preservation and revival of Egyptian heritage by restoring historic buildings and promoting traditional folk art. Hany Aboul-Hassan, head of the fund, stated that the restoration of ancient buildings aims to not only rescue these structures but also to encourage people to visit them frequently.
Attending a Tanoura show at Wekalet El-Ghouri offers a unique glimpse into Egypt’s rich cultural heritage and an unforgettable experience for all visitors. Don’t miss this opportunity to witness a spiritual dance that comes from the heart and brings Egyptian tradition to life.
