Al-Qurdati: The Monkey Trainers of Egypt
- Journalistic Translation
- Jun 15, 2022
- 2 min read
Did you know that a monkey could earn a man a living? “Al-Qurdati” or a monkey trainer was someone who entertained people in Egypt for a living. He would roam the guarded streets of Cairo, Alexandria, and all the major cities where people would gather around to watch the monkey perform acrobatic movements.
If you want to know more about the profession of “Al-Qurdati, read this article.
Why did people love these talented creatures?
These monkeys were often of a species of small monkeys. Most monkey trainers used to give their monkeys the same name: Maimoun. The monkey trainer used to drum the tambourine for Maimoun to perform some acrobatic movements, one of which was called “the farmer's dough”, he would then salute his audience while his trainer played the flute.
Al-Qurdati entertaining Egyptians in 1923 youm7.com
Where did the monkey trainers live?
Most of those who pursue this profession used to travel to Cairo and Alexandria from the countryside. Most of them also lived in Cairo, located a few miles from the Ghemra Bridge called “Ezbet El-Qurud” which translates to “The Monkeys’ Manor”.
As for those who lived in Alexandria, they lived in an area located behind the Gabriel station, which had some small huts and horse stables that were inhabited by those who worked in raising and selling pets, including monkeys.
“Al-Qurdati” portrayed in Egyptian cinema in the 1980s
The character of Al-Qurdati was portrayed in many Egyptian films, the most famous of which is the movie “Al-Qurdati” starring Farouk El-Fishawy, a famous Egyptian actor. This movie achieved great success at that time and its events revolve around the character of Fattouh, who was a young thief, and the Mentor Bayoumi whom he befriended whilst being in prison. He later resorts to Mentor Bayoumi for help after participating in fraud again and he agrees to help him.
"Al-Qurdati" the movie, 1987 www.niletc.tv
Why did this profession go extinct?
Al- Qurdati’s profession is one of the first professions that became extinct in Egypt, as it was, in fact, tantamount to begging in sort of a respectful way due to people loving these talented creatures.
This profession was very entertaining; it used to lift people's spirits and make them forget about their problems for a few moments. Considering how the number of beggars on the streets of Egypt has increased, it doesn’t make sense that we lose such an uplifting aspect of the Egyptian culture because some people view it as begging. Therefore, people need to do their best to bring this profession back to life, perhaps by learning more about its history and publishing posts about it on social media platforms.
Related Articles:
https://cairoscene.com/ArtsAndCulture/7-Jobs-that-Only-Exist-in-Egypt
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