Festivals and Annual Events

Book lovers are in for a treat at the Cairo Book Fair. Considered the largest event of its kind in the Middle East, this fair is held at the Nasr City International Fair Grounds, usually in late January. Millions of books covering every conceivable topic are featured and many are sold at substantial discounts. Though most books are in Arabic, there are also pavilions featuring English, French and Italian titles, as well as computer software. The fair is also considered a platform for prominent Arab writers and thinkers who give lectures and hold discussions.

Taking place on the 10th day of Muharram in the Islamic calendar at El-Hussein Mosque, Ashura celebrates the martyrdom of Hussein, the grandson of Prophet Mohammed who was killed in 680AD during the battle of Karbala.

Flora Eypt Fair is an annual international exhibition of fresh cut flowers and ornamaental plants. The fair provides a meeting ground for those interested in all aspects of horticulture, from marketing to future trends. It is a gateway for exhibitors to introduce their products in the European and Middle East market. Some additional activities during the Fair include seminars, field visits to some model farms, 'Best booth presentation' competition, and flower arrangement courses by Dutch experts. This fair is organized by the Egyptian Flower Council under the patronage of various Ministries.

Twice a year, on February 22 and October 22, thousands gather to watch as the sun passes over the face of the Ramsis II statue at the Pharaonic temples of Abu Simbel.

Held every year at venues throughout Cairo, Al Nitaq is a popular cultural festival that celebrates a huge variety of artistic disciplines, from poetry to music and art.

The celebration of the birthday of the Prophet, Mawlid un-Nabi is one of the most spectacular festivals to experience in Cairo. Homes, stores, and mosques are floridly and intricately decorated, stories of the Prophet are frequently narrated, and food is in abundance.

This is one of the several religious festivals in the city. It is celebrated with great fervor and enthusiasm. The celebrations include great street parties involving colorful street performances, markets, music, dancing, fireworks and processions.

Coptic Easter is a fast-breaking celebration, and the most important Coptic event of the year. The exact date of Coptic Easter varies according to the Coptic solar calendar, but always falls sometime between late March and the end of April. Mass is held on the eve to mark the end of Lent - 40 days of fasting, during which Copts follow a vegan diet. Coptics spend their Easter going to church, visiting relatives and having a picnic. One of the most popular places for picnics is Urman Gardens.

This is one of the most popular and colourful festivals of the year, gathering pace over a week and culminating in a leyla kebira (big night) on the last Wednesday of the Islamic month of Rabi el-Tani (between May and June). Pilgrims from all over the country come to El-Hussein Mosque to honour the Prophet's grandson, who was killed in Iraq in AD 680. Tents are erected around the mosque for poets, entertainers and zikr (religious dances). Sufis attending the festivities parade through the streets, each sect with its own banners and musical instruments.

The Wafaa Al Nil festival (which means “Fidelity of the Nile") celebrates Egypt's iconic symbol, the Nile River, since ancient times. In Pharaonic times, beautiful girls were sacrificed by being thrown into the Nile River as a way to guarantee a good harvest. Nowadays such activities are no longer pursued, but people of Egypt continue to honor this river through painting competitions for children, poetry readings, concerts, and discussions about pollution.

Held for three decades, the Cairo International Film Festival is about celebrating all that is the best in cinema, worldwide. It is a forum for exchange of ideas between nations, for promoting films in the Arab world, the Middle East and all over the world, for creating artistic links between nations and for recognizing and honoring talent in diverse fields related to films and film making.