Egyptian artist paints murals on houses to celebrate haj
The artist Eid Al Salwaawi paints murals about the holy Kaaba and the rituals of the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, in Cairo, Egypt, July 17, 2019. REUTERS/Hayam Adel
CAIRO (Reuters) - Eid Al Salwaawi, 69, paints murals of the rituals of the haj pilgrimage on the walls of a house in Cairo's Sayeda Zainab neighborhood.
Sometimes he volunteers to paint scenes that celebrate the haj and religious stories and lessons, other times he is paid.
Every year, Muslims travel from around the world to the city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia to complete the haj, one of the five pillars of their faith. This year's haj will conclude on Sunday.
The artist Eid Al Salwaawi paints murals about the holy Kaaba and the rituals of the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, in Cairo, Egypt, July 17, 2019. Picture taken July 17, 2019. REUTERS/Hayam Adel
Salwaawi said the haj scenes he saw on the walls of houses in his home village as a child in northern Aswan captured his imagination.
"So I draw camel caravans and soldiers wearing traditional hats guarding them," he said.
He uses simple tools like a handmade palm frond brush and a mixture of paint, vinegar, rosewater, gum Arabic and glue.
A group of people perform spiritual recitations as they celebrate the departure of a neighbour who is going to do Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, in Cairo, Egypt, July 31, 2019. Picture taken July 31, 2019. REUTERS/Hayam Adel
One mural depicts women as they embark on the pilgrimage, dressed in bright colors, another shows a caravan carrying the tapestry that covers the Kaaba, the holiest site in Islam. He adorns his works with prayers and Koranic verses.
Each mural takes him between two and three hours.
The artist Eid Al Salwaawi gets stained with paint as he draws murals of the holy Kaaba and the rituals of the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca on the walls of a house in Cairo, Egypt, July 17, 2019. Picture taken July 17, 2019. REUTERS/Hayam Adel
(Reporting by Hayam Adel, Writing by Eman Kharoshah and Nafisa Eltahir, Editing by Alexandra Hudson)
The artist Eid Al Salwaawi paints murals about the holy Kaaba and the rituals of the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, in Cairo, Egypt, July 17, 2019. Picture taken July 17, 2019. REUTERS/Hayam AdelThe artist Eid Al Salwaawi paints murals about the holy Kaaba and the rituals of the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, in Cairo, Egypt, July 17, 2019. Picture taken July 17, 2019. REUTERS/Hayam AdelThe artist Eid Al Salwaawi mixes paints as he gets ready for painting murals about the holy Kaaba and the rituals of the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca on the walls of a house in Cairo, Egypt, July 17, 2019. Picture taken July17, 2019. REUTERS/Hayam AdelA group of people perform spiritual recitations as they celebrate the departure of a neighbour who is going to do Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, in Cairo, Egypt, July 31, 2019. Picture taken July 31, 2019. REUTERS/Hayam AdelMen and women sit in front of murals painted by the artist Eid Al Salwaawi, who paints murals showing the holy Kaaba and the rituals of the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, in Cairo, Egypt, July 31, 2019. Picture taken July 31, 2019. REUTERS/Hayam AdelA group of people perform spiritual recitations as they celebrate the departure of a neighbour who is going to do Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, in Cairo, Egypt, July 31, 2019. Picture taken July 31, 2019. REUTERS/Hayam Adel
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