Houda
Houda moves passionately and with dedication between each of Egypt’s “Mulids,” the festivities that commemorate the birth of the prophet, his family, and other religious figures. He makes sure he is there, whenever and wherever, the Mulids are.
The 63 years old Mahmoud Abd El Nabi, whose neighbors have nicknamed “Houda,” has, for years, felt attracted to the joyful and spiritual atmosphere of the Mulid, which has become his refuge. Despite of the fact that he claims to be married and have a family, the Mulid has become his home and its visitors became his family.
“This is a different world where I can fly with the invocations, dance and be with beautiful people,” Houda says as his body sways with the sound of the invocations that spread across the Al-Sayeda Zaynab neighborhood, to describe his state and what he feels while he is in any Mulid.
Houda lives in a humble room on the ground floor in one of Giza’s popular areas. Just like a Dervish, no walls can confine his soul; he left his room and now sleeps at a popular cafe next to the house.
Houda makes his living by helping out at the café during the daily preparations and sometimes delivering a neighboring super market’s orders. He did not acquire a full time job so that he can attend every Mulid without constrictions. The young people in the neighborhood sometimes make fun of Houda, and while he accepts the jokes, most of the time they hurt him. Houda is proud of himself and confirms that he is not a beggar, saying that his mother’s pension protects him from seeking help from others.
When he talks about his mother, who he is very attached to, the words come out of his mouth wavering like a Sufi dance, since he is the youngest among his brothers and sisters. He always remembers her and wishes her mercy as he looks at her photo before going to any Mulid.
In El-Moulid Houda is a completely different person, active, enthusiastic for the things around him, dancing, singing, Moulid Al-Sayeda Nfisa, Cairo, Egypt.
Houda always says about El-Moulid (here is another world).
He prefer to sleep in the café more than his room which is beside it.
Winter sunlight giving houda and his neighbour warmness.
Houda while helping out the café during the daily preparations.
Houda prepares himself to go to the celebrations of Moulid al-Hussein.
Although the woman disappeared from Houda's real life, but she always there on the walls inside his room.
Houda strongly hug with one of his friends from moulid.
Houda while his visit to the grave of Al-Sayeda Zainab during El-Moulid.
Houda at the nights without Moulid.
Every day in the winter Houda lights the firewood and put it beside him while sleeps.
Most of the day he moves inside the area where he live and don`t go out unless there is a Moulid.
