K is for..Keda keda!...and...Khayal el Zill...and the Khan...

is for

Keda keda!

This is a super untranslatable phrase :) – I can only tell you it’s used a lot! Technically it means 'like this' but the colloquial usage is not restricted to the meaning. It can be an expression of affirmation, triumph, defiance...it's one of those shape-shifting nifty phrases, like water - fits anything that it's poured into.

And here is a number titled Keda keda, from a Lebanese artist.

Khayal el Zill 

which loosely translates to ‘shadows of the imagination’ and refers to shadow puppetry, all the pun intended.  Broadly speaking, it was a form of popular theatre, uniquely Egyptian screen entertainment before the advent of TV/cinema.   

It is thought that the first performances began at the founding of Cairo in the 10^th century itself, and by the 13^th/14^th century it was wildly popular, the shows being held across the city. For any celebratory occasion – weddings, circumcisions, and of course, in high demand for the nights of the holy month of Ramadan.   Many of the plays were serial in nature, designed to keep the audiences coming back for more. 

A 'screenshot' of a different kind! Performance of Khayal el Zil 
in an old merchant residence by a folk theatre group.  Cairo.

It helped that the plays were performed on portable, foldable stages. Relatively small, they could be set up quickly anywhere. Mounted on wooden rods, the foot-high puppets were made of camel hide stretched thin and translucent, and were constructed so that their limbs could move independently.  Each company had their own raees el khayal, or master of the shadows, and enough plays for each night of the Ramadan, when crowds assembled after the iftar at sunset in public spaces for entertainment. The puppeteers not only used the puppets, they augmented the storytelling with different voices for the different characters, sound effects, music, lights. 

The development of plastics meant that skills with wood and leather, the slow, prideful processes of individual hand-crafted puppets were gradually lost.  The audiences disappeared into cinemas and then gravitated in front of living room TV’s. The master of shadows no longer held audiences in thrall after nightfall. (Read more here). 

Khan el Khalili!

Often called just the ‘Khan’, the Khan el Khalili was set up in the heart of Fatimid Cairo by Emir Djaharks el-Khalili in 1382.  It has been in continuous operation ever since, a pivotal hub of trade in medieval times and the most important retail area in Cairo still, after almost seven centuries. 

Somewhere near the metaworkers and coppersmiths lane.

 

There are many arches dating from centuries 
ago.

Essentially, it is an Arab, open-air marketplace - a maze of tiny, whip-thin, old lanes of shops and ancient monuments, a total treasure-trove if you are interested in shopping, or ancient buildings.  A must-visit if you are in Cairo!

 

A shop selling lamps and lanterns.  

Spice seller's display. In medieval times, Egypt was a major 
trading point for spices.

And also the award winning Arabic operatic singer and composer, Hiba Al Kawas, because I don't want to give the impression that Arab music is only pop, rap and alternative. There has always been a very classical, traditional side to Arab music, right alongside modern/folk/pop.

And finally, here is Cheb Khaled, the King of Rai from Algeria, can't leave him out!  He has a list of awards longer than my arm...

Did you Know Cheb Khaled has been performing and Knocking people's socks off with his music since the age of 14? And that the word 'Rai' translates to opinion? Rai music is a blend of traditional Bedouin desert music and pop. The lyrics, often switching between Arabic and French, can be frank, sometimes bawdy, to the point of offending the more conservative Islamic elements.

Posted for the A-Z Challenge 2017