what's
that? It's not a dance and it's not the so called „raqs assaya“
(stick or cane dance).
It's
a "fight" - game between men which can be done only as a pastime
after work or whenever they want to and there are also contests of
tahtib especially in Upper Egypt in the governates of Luxor and Qena
for example at the moulids.
Last june I was in Luxor with my friend Sahra C. Kent during the moulid of Abu el Haggag. These 4-5 days are full of celebrations – you want to find folklore and upper egyptian traditions in one bunch? Here you got it!!
Last june I was in Luxor with my friend Sahra C. Kent during the moulid of Abu el Haggag. These 4-5 days are full of celebrations – you want to find folklore and upper egyptian traditions in one bunch? Here you got it!!
No
escape!!! LOL
There are different zikr – some only chanting and praying, some using singing, tabla baladi and cymbals or others with music and a sheikh singing. Then we find dancing horses and mizmar and of course – tahtib!
And here it's not only a play, there are men coming (and beeing invited) from all over the region to partecipate to this tahtib contest. A first part takes place in front of Luxor temple and the mosque of Abu el Haggag and when this is finished, everybody going on to the next place – a small square in between of three streets – in the middle of houses, shops and coffeeshops, where the men were playing tahtib for years and years now.
Sahra and I were lucky – our taxidriver and friend Mamdouh – took as quickly to the second place, after the first contest was finished. So we got up on the first floor of a coffeeshop right in front – better – right above the square.
There were only some men in their galabiyas, sitting on a bench – in the shadow of a big tree, protecting them from the sun (we had kind of 40 degrees C!!!). Cars, motobikes, bycicles passing by, people walking around as nothing was there to happen. It was amazing observing that. It seemed a normal hot day on a street in Luxor.
There are different zikr – some only chanting and praying, some using singing, tabla baladi and cymbals or others with music and a sheikh singing. Then we find dancing horses and mizmar and of course – tahtib!
And here it's not only a play, there are men coming (and beeing invited) from all over the region to partecipate to this tahtib contest. A first part takes place in front of Luxor temple and the mosque of Abu el Haggag and when this is finished, everybody going on to the next place – a small square in between of three streets – in the middle of houses, shops and coffeeshops, where the men were playing tahtib for years and years now.
Sahra and I were lucky – our taxidriver and friend Mamdouh – took as quickly to the second place, after the first contest was finished. So we got up on the first floor of a coffeeshop right in front – better – right above the square.
There were only some men in their galabiyas, sitting on a bench – in the shadow of a big tree, protecting them from the sun (we had kind of 40 degrees C!!!). Cars, motobikes, bycicles passing by, people walking around as nothing was there to happen. It was amazing observing that. It seemed a normal hot day on a street in Luxor.
Then,
slowly slowy, more men came around. We recognized some faces we
already had seen at the contest minutes before in front of Luxor
temple. The leader of the contest, an old, proud and wise man (we had
the pleasure to talk to him later) came in, the musicians (mizmar
band) took their place, as usual, on a bench, more and more people
(only men – of course) walking in and slowly the disordered crowd
formed a circle. There it is – the beginning of the tahtib, played
inside this circle.
BUT
– this was not yet the contest!! At the beginning, men were only
having fun, joking, playing little bit around – nothing too
serious. The „real“ tahtib – the contest – began later. There
the leader brought in the two sticks, which always has to be the same
during the hole contest/play and they are passed on from one player
to the next. It is not allowed to bring in your own stick! That's
part of the rules.
The
leader and the „referees“ control the game, count the points AND
take the men „under control.“
In the game you are able to show your courage, your ability, your strength, your cleverness.... and of course, your power and aggression. But... you should not. Tahtib is not supposed to be a place where to struggle with your enemy. Of course, sometimes it can happen, that somebodys feelings overhelm – the referees are also there to take this under control and to finish the game before somebody is carried away.
My friend Mahmoud from Luxor, an excellent tahtib player, always tells me, that it is better not to fight when you are angry. As a tahtib „fighter“ you should be aware of your feelings, of the power of your body and of your abilities to be sure not to hurt your opponent.
He is playing tahtib since he was a young boy and he told me, the first years while he was learning to use the stick, he concentrated only on how to defend himself..... for years and years. Because it seems easy to attack somebody, but if you are able defending and protecting yourself, your opponent cannot beat you and will lose the game.
As you may see, tahtib is such a fascinating tradition. And it becomes even more fascinating when you slowly begin understanding what happens during a game.
And I always remember my friend Mahmoud, his expression and his eyes shining while talking about his experiences in tahtib.
Need a tahtib experience, too? Ok – could be done! Next november in Luxor! See you there!! :-)
In the game you are able to show your courage, your ability, your strength, your cleverness.... and of course, your power and aggression. But... you should not. Tahtib is not supposed to be a place where to struggle with your enemy. Of course, sometimes it can happen, that somebodys feelings overhelm – the referees are also there to take this under control and to finish the game before somebody is carried away.
My friend Mahmoud from Luxor, an excellent tahtib player, always tells me, that it is better not to fight when you are angry. As a tahtib „fighter“ you should be aware of your feelings, of the power of your body and of your abilities to be sure not to hurt your opponent.
He is playing tahtib since he was a young boy and he told me, the first years while he was learning to use the stick, he concentrated only on how to defend himself..... for years and years. Because it seems easy to attack somebody, but if you are able defending and protecting yourself, your opponent cannot beat you and will lose the game.
As you may see, tahtib is such a fascinating tradition. And it becomes even more fascinating when you slowly begin understanding what happens during a game.
And I always remember my friend Mahmoud, his expression and his eyes shining while talking about his experiences in tahtib.
Need a tahtib experience, too? Ok – could be done! Next november in Luxor! See you there!! :-)
