Flowers of Egypt in Ghawazee costume 2002

The Ghawazee were female “gypsy” dancers of Egypt.  They could trace their backgrounds to several gypsy tribes believed to have migrated to Egypt from India via Persia eg Nawar or Bahlawan tribes, each with its own language .

These dancers were usually born into an entertaining family which was hired for festivals, weddings, births, circumcisions, Nile Cruises etc.

In 1834, the Ghawazee were expelled from Cairo to Upper Egypt hence their concentration in that area. 

The Maazin sisters were the last performing ghawazee. The singular form of Ghawazee is Ghawzia. 

More recently, their musicians are now more likely to be of Nubian origin (slaves from Sudan) who learnt their skills through intermarriage with gypsies over the generations

• More traditional instruments used    

• Arghul - ancient clarinet, made of two reed pipes  

• Rebaba -  2 string fiddle, held vertically    

• Mizmar - oboe, usually played in trios, mizmar players of Upper Egypt are called Zoummarin  

• Tabla/darabukka  

• Qasaba/Salamaya -  reed flute

• Tar – tamborine

• Sagat - finger cymbals

• The Ghawazee of Egypt by Jasmin Jahal

• Ghawazee Coat - instructions on making a coat

• Raksat Ghawazee 

• Historic Writings - The Egyptian Ghawazee

• Ghawazee Photo Gallery - photos of a Ghawazee style troupe, Benat Maazin style