• Female “gypsy” dancers of Egypt

• The Maazin sisters were the last performing ghawazee

• Trace their backgrounds to several gypsy tribes eg Nawar, Bahlawan, each with own language

• Believed to have migrated to Egypt from India via Persia

• Usually born into an entertaining family which was hired for festivals, weddings, births, circumcisions, Nile Cruises etc

• Usually dance in groups

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

• Singular form is Ghawzia

Music

• 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

• Musicians are now more likely to be of Nubian origin (slaves form Sudan) who learnt their skills through intermarriage with gypsies over the generations

The Flowers of Egypt in Ghawazee Costume, 2002

• 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