{"id":17691,"date":"2025-02-03T18:03:28","date_gmt":"2025-02-03T16:03:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zawia3.com\/?p=17691"},"modified":"2026-10-24T15:07:36","modified_gmt":"2026-10-24T13:07:36","slug":"egyptian-heritage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zawia3.com\/en\/egyptian-heritage\/","title":{"rendered":"Egypt\u2019s Living Heritage: Shared Recognition and Fears of Cultural Appropriation"},"content":{"rendered":"

Egyptian heritage, in both its tangible and intangible forms, has not been spared attempts to erase or distort it throughout its long history, attempts that range from manipulating historical facts to claiming ownership of certain aspects of this heritage. These attempts are not limited to the popular level alone, but sometimes extend to the international arena, and they are still continuing, especially with regard to intangible heritage. Among the most prominent of them are the claims by some countries to ownership of Egyptian cultural elements, such as famous dishes and costumes. <\/span><\/p>\n

Recently, controversy flared after the “simsimiyya” instrument was registered as a heritage shared between Egypt and Saudi Arabia on UNESCO’s list for safeguarding cultural heritage. This joint registration provoked the disapproval of those interested in Egyptian heritage, who consider it a purely Egyptian instrument with historical roots, and the tension grew as the event coincided with Saudi Arabia’s continued attraction of Egyptian artists and its granting them its nationality, which gave rise to concern about the identity of Egyptian artistic production, and to fear of motives aimed at exploiting it.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The concern doubled, particularly as this step came only two years after the United Arab Emirates registered the art of “talli” as Emirati heritage on UNESCO’s lists, which led some to consider it an appropriation of Egypt’s heritage. These successive events raised growing fears about Egyptian cultural identity, as it is feared that Egyptian heritage and creativity will be exploited to enhance the standing of some countries at Cairo’s expense.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Recommended reading: <\/b>The Suez Canal Dome Building: From a historical legacy to a tourist hotel? <\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

The importance of heritage<\/b><\/h1>\n

The importance of intangible heritage (which includes practices, traditions, knowledge and skills, in addition to the instruments, artefacts and cultural spaces, according to <\/span>UNESCO’s definition<\/span><\/a>) stems from its being a tool that strengthens national identity and supports cultural diversity, in addition to its political importance at the strategic level, and its economic importance as an integral part of the cultural industries. <\/span>Article 50 <\/span><\/a>of the Egyptian Constitution stipulates the state’s commitment to preserving the tangible and intangible heritage, and considers any assault on this heritage a crime punishable by law.<\/span><\/p>\n

The registration of the “simsimiyya” with Saudi Arabia’s participation sparked wide controversy, as many Egyptian intellectuals and people interested in cultural heritage considered it an attempt to seize part of Egypt’s heritage and history, given the deep roots of this musical instrument in the history of ancient Egypt. The Egyptian Ministry of Culture announced last December that it had succeeded in registering the “simsimiyya” as intangible heritage on UNESCO’s heritage safeguarding lists, without mentioning any Saudi role in this registration, which prompted questions about transparency in dealing with this matter.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In response to the joint registration process, MP Amira Saber submitted a briefing request addressed to Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and Minister of Culture Ahmed Hanno, demanding clarification of the details of registering the “simsimiyya” in partnership with Saudi Arabia, and of how Egypt protects its heritage from shared attribution or from its transfer to other countries.<\/span><\/p>\n

In a brief statement to Zawia3, MP <\/span>Amira Saber<\/b> explains the reasons for her objection, saying that “the simsimiyya is a purely Egyptian instrument from ancient Egyptian times until the present day, and it is closely linked to the struggle of the people of the city of Suez against colonialism. Therefore, I requested an explanation of the reasons for registering it with Saudi Arabia’s participation, but no date has yet been set for the discussion.”<\/span><\/p>\n

For his part, the former head of the General Egyptian Book Organization,<\/span> Haitham El-Hagg Ali<\/b>, believes that registering heritage elements jointly with other countries should happen only in cases of utmost necessity. He says, speaking to us: “The UNESCO system allows the registration of similar elements while preserving the differences between them, but this is a way out that may only be resorted to in cases of utmost necessity, and it is preferable for the files to be multinational rather than shared between only two countries”. He warns against attempts to seize Egyptian heritage, and cites the efforts of artist Shams El-Atrabi to preserve the Sinai dress as a purely Egyptian heritage element, as well as the efforts of the late Ahmed Morsi (professor of folk literature and folklore at Cairo University) in confronting similar attempts.<\/span><\/p>\n

El-Hagg Ali stresses the importance of heritage elements as “a basis for cultural and heritage industries, and historical evidence that can be exploited politically after being registered”. He points out that registering these elements at UNESCO requires large budgets, which calls for setting priorities, especially since Egypt is rich in diverse heritage. He considers that the abundance of Egyptian heritage does not justify giving up on registering it, “rather, relinquishing it is a crime similar to trafficking in antiquities”, as he puts it. <\/span><\/p>\n

The website<\/a> of the General Organization for Cultural Palaces, which is affiliated with the Ministry of Culture, indicates that the origins of the simsimiyya go back to the ancient Egyptian kenara instrument. The ethnomusicology researcher<\/a> at the French Institute of Oriental Archaeology in Cairo, Kawkab Tawfik, affirms, in a research paper she presented during the Arab Music Festival in 2021, which was published on the website of the Cairo Opera House, “the existence of archaeological evidence dating the simsimiyya back to the era of the ancient Egyptians, as it took the form of a trapezoidal wooden box, and another version modified into a circular container”. She points out that the simsimiyya reached the Suez Canal via different routes and waves of migration: an inland route along the Nile River, and an external sea route along the Red Sea coast. The researcher denies the validity of the belief that Nubian and Sudanese workers introduced the simsimiyya to Egypt’s northern coast in the 19th century, relying on the absence of any mention of it in the reports of the Napoleonic exploratory expeditions that followed the digging of the Suez Canal.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Musician and researcher into the heritage of the simsimiyya instrument <\/span>Amr Rawy<\/b> agrees with what Kawkab Tawfik stated, ruling out the hypothesis that the simsimiyya was introduced with the Sudanese during the digging of the Suez Canal, citing as evidence that “the workers who dug the canal were Egyptians working in forced labour, and the arduous working conditions did not give them the opportunity to practise music; moreover, no inherited cultural heritage of songs reflecting the suffering of the workers has reached us”, as he puts it. <\/span><\/p>\n

On the origin of the simsimiyya, he explains, speaking to Zawia3, that it has “roots going back to the ancient Egyptian civilisation, which greatly influenced the cultures surrounding it, as the ancient Egyptians had advanced musical instruments whose techniques and ideas were transferred to neighbouring societies, including South Africa”. Nevertheless, he believes that the current form of the simsimiyya was influenced by African cultures, especially the Bishariya and Beja tribes, who moved across the Red Sea, including the Egyptian borders, and worked mainly in fishing and in moving between the ports, and these sailors brought their musical instruments and traditions to the region.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rawy notes that the simsimiyya may have moved to the Hijaz during the period when it was under Egyptian rule, thanks to the sailors and traders who moved between the ports of the Red Sea, whether they were Egyptians or African sailors.<\/span><\/p>\n

He says that the simsimiyya developed through multiple stages, influenced by the needs of the sailors and coastal communities of the Red Sea. At first, it was made of natural materials such as hollowed trunks and strings made of goat intestines, and it was characterised by a large size and a sound suited to the dry atmosphere of the inland regions. But with its move to the coastal areas, it faced challenges because of the weakness of its sound amid the noise of the sea. Therefore, the sailors modified it, replacing the heavy trunks with a light and solid wooden base such as teak, and reducing its size so that it could easily be carried on boats. They also replaced the gut strings with fishing lines and then with metal wires, which increased the power and intensity of its sound.<\/span><\/p>\n

Amr Rawy, author of the book “The Melody of the Sea”, points to the pivotal role that the Canal cities played in developing the simsimiyya instrument and improving its musical performance. At first, the simsimiyya had only five strings, which limited its musical range. But with its move to the Canal cities, local musicians increased the number of strings to seven and then to nine strings, which expanded the range of musical notes that the instrument can produce. This development contributed to the presentation of more complex and diverse melodies, to suit the popular celebrations and the national resistance songs for which the region was famous, especially during the period of occupation.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rawy adds that by the middle of the twentieth century, the simsimiyya in the Canal cities had undergone further development, as the number of its strings sometimes reached 12 strings or more. This development allowed musicians to play a complete musical scale. By contrast, this development did not reach Saudi Arabia, where the simsimiyya is still used in its original traditional form today, as he puts it.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Recommended reading: <\/b>Ahmed Douma on his collection \u201cCurly\u201d: I wrote it in prison, fleeing from defeat or explosion <\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

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Talli: another experience<\/b><\/h1>\n

The simsimiyya instrument was not the only subject of controversy over Egyptian cultural heritage, as recent years have witnessed many similar cases. The most prominent of them was the registration by the <\/span>United Arab Emirates<\/span><\/a>, in 2022, of the art of talli as an Emirati craft on UNESCO’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage. This provoked widespread resentment in Egypt, especially since many bodies and institutions concerned with heritage, along with Egyptian artists and craftspeople, had repeatedly demanded that the art of talli be registered as an authentic part of Egyptian heritage in order to protect it and preserve Egyptian cultural identity. However, the Emirati initiative surprised everyone and preceded Egypt in registering this art, which those interested in Egyptian heritage considered an assault on part of their heritage, and a failure on the part of Egyptian diplomacy, which was late in registering it.<\/span><\/p>\n

Talli<\/span><\/a> is a type of traditional Egyptian embroidery in which silver or gold metallic threads are used to decorate fabrics and silk. Its origins go back to the governorates of Assiut and Sohag, and the women of Upper Egypt were famous for it, as they used it to decorate their galabiyas and the bride’s wedding veils.<\/span><\/p>\n

There are many cases of appropriation of Egypt’s cultural heritage by various countries, most prominently the continuous attempts of the Israeli occupation to market Egyptian heritage as an integral part of its history. It broadcasts old Egyptian films<\/a> that it obtained by illegal means, and which feature Jewish actors, on its media channels, and promotes them as part of its cinematic heritage. It has also sought to promote some songs performed by Egyptian female artists, such as Leila Mourad, as Israeli heritage, displaying and selling her songs on the “Israel Music<\/a>” platform without referring to her Egyptian nationality or clarifying the source from which they were obtained. Moreover, it has sought to appropriate Egyptian cuisine by claiming ownership of some famous Egyptian dishes, such as “falafel<\/a>“. Likewise, Turkey<\/a> registered the tales of “Nasreddin Hodja” (known as the Egyptian Goha) on UNESCO’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage as Turkish heritage. On another front, Syria cooperated with Iran in registering the oud<\/a> instrument as a heritage shared between them, ignoring the roots of this instrument in Egypt. The attempts to appropriate Egyptian heritage extend to the world of fashion, which has witnessed many attempts by global fashion houses<\/a> to use Egyptian elements in fashion design, such as traditional Egyptian costumes and Pharaonic motifs, including lotus flowers, the scarab and hieroglyphic writing, in global fashion shows<\/a> without referring to their true source.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Experts interested in Egyptian cultural heritage who spoke to Zawia3 agree that these attempts go beyond being conflicts over heritage elements, as they reflect wider cultural conflicts with political and economic dimensions. States use these conflicts as a tool of diplomatic pressure, or to modify historical standards in a way that serves their interests, or to strengthen their cultural hegemony within the framework of what is known as soft war. Moreover, determining the origin of a cultural product carries great economic value, as it can boost tourism and the cultural industries associated with it, giving the state that claims ownership a competitive advantage.<\/span><\/p>\n

For his part, <\/span>Abdel<\/b> Hamid Salah El-Sherif<\/b>, chairman of the board of trustees of the Egyptian Society for Saving Heritage, believes that encroachment on heritage is not merely a passing act, but constitutes a serious threat to national security. He adds: “There are systematic attempts targeting cultural heritage with political and economic motives, and Egypt is not immune to these risks”. He stresses the need to understand the goals of those who stand behind these encroachments and to know the mechanisms by which they are carried out in order to confront them proactively, “instead of becoming merely a reaction”, and he also stresses the need to identify local partners for cooperation in this regard.<\/span><\/p>\n

He stresses that registering heritage in partnership with other countries is a good thing, provided that the heritage is actually shared, “and not an attempt to strip us of our historical rights, and that the intellectual property rights of each country are respected”. He emphasises the importance of preserving intangible heritage as a fundamental part of cultural identity, pointing to its potential economic value.<\/span><\/p>\n

Zawia3 contacted Mohamed Shabana, who supervised the submission of the simsimiyya file to UNESCO and is the rapporteur of the Folk Arts Committee at the Supreme Council of Culture, to find out the reason for registering the simsimiyya in partnership with Saudi Arabia. He says: “The rules for registering intangible heritage elements at UNESCO allow each country to submit heritage element files once every two years. But countries can cooperate and submit joint files annually; therefore, the simsimiyya was registered as a joint file with Saudi Arabia in order to take advantage of the opportunity of the periodic session, with each country obtaining an independent certificate proving the presence of the simsimiyya in its heritage”. He explains that the same mechanism had previously been applied in registering the henna and Arabic calligraphy files with the participation of various Arab countries.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In response to the criticism directed at registering the simsimiyya as a shared heritage, Shabana stresses that the simsimiyya has an ancient history in Egyptian civilisation, as its traces were found on temple walls and it spread to multiple regions of Egypt. He adds that this does not negate its spread in other countries such as Jordan and Saudi Arabia; indeed, there are historical references indicating the existence of similar instruments in Sudan, Ethiopia and some Gulf countries, known as the tanbour. He explains that the slight differences between these instruments do not contradict the theory of cultural diffusion, which explains the transfer of cultural elements between peoples through trade, wars and sea routes, noting that this is what actually happened with the simsimiyya.<\/span><\/p>\n

As for the reasons why UNESCO described the users of the simsimiyya instrument in Egypt as “ship brokers” on its official website, Shabana expresses his astonishment at this, stressing that this description does not appear in the file that was submitted, and that the file, which he wrote in Arabic and which Nahla Emam wrote in English, links the simsimiyya to the sea songs of Port Said, Ismailia and Suez, and states that some of those who work at sea use it, and did not mention the term “ship brokers”. He considers it likely that this error resulted from a misunderstanding on UNESCO’s part, expressing his regret that it cannot be corrected at present.<\/span><\/p>\n

Recommended reading: <\/b>The Saudi General Entertainment Authority’s projects: Will they revive Egyptian cinema or drown it? <\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

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The value of heritage and ways of protecting it<\/b><\/h1>\n

The professor of cultural anthropology at Cairo University, <\/span>Saeed El-Masry<\/b>, points to the weak awareness of Egyptian society of its cultural heritage, and believes that the misunderstanding of the concept of “intangible cultural heritage” aggravates this problem, as this term remains confined to specialised circles.<\/span><\/p>\n

El-Masry warns that this weak awareness may lead to the loss of heritage. In his view, protecting heritage requires, first and foremost, strengthening individuals’ awareness of the value of their cultural heritage and instilling a sense of pride in it. He stresses that community participation is the cornerstone of protecting heritage, and that any efforts made away from the community will not achieve the desired results.<\/span><\/p>\n

Abdel Hamid Salah El-Sherif agrees with this view, calling for the launch of a comprehensive national project to document heritage, together with the development of clear standards in cooperation with specialists and members of the community. Haitham El-Hagg Ali also calls for the formation of a team of specialised experts whose first task would be to defend the registration of Egyptian elements on UNESCO’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage.<\/b><\/p>\n

Egypt has so far succeeded in registering <\/span>10 elements<\/span><\/a> of intangible heritage on UNESCO’s list, some of them individually, namely the tales of “Al-Sirah Al-Hilaliyyah”, the arts of “Tahteeb” and “Aragoz”, the craft of “handmade weaving”, and the “Journey of the Holy Family”. Others were registered in partnership with Arab countries, and include “the arts of metal engraving”, “the practices associated with the date palm”, “the arts of Arabic calligraphy”, “henna” and the “simsimiyya”.<\/span><\/p>\n

Editorial correction: In one place in the first version of the report, the name of the chairman of the board of trustees of the Egyptian Society for Saving Heritage was given as “Salah Abdel Hamid”; the correct name is “Abdel Hamid Salah El-Sherif”, as it appeared in an earlier place in the report.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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