Politics, Popular
Culture and the 2011 Egyptian 
Revolution

مصر
REVOLUTION
ثورة

An archive of multimedia influenced by the 2011 Egyptian Revolution

Organised by:

Featured topics

See all 12 featured topics 

054-2.jpg

Women in the Egyptian Revolution and their Resistance against Violence

15lr1.jpg

An Introduction to Popular Culture and the Egyptian Revolution

Bassem Youssef.png

Dangerously funny? The emergence of political satire

TIMELINE 

a timeline from 2011-2014...
a timeline from 2011-2012...
filter Use the icons above to filter the available items
close Remove filters and see all media
Thumbnail of

12/02/2012

Photograph of graffiti seen on a street in Cairo in February 2012. 'Sitt al-banat' (or, 'the best of girls') refers to the female protester who was…
Thumbnail of

01/02/2011

Ramy Essam shot to fame during the 18 days of the Tahrir Square sit-in in 2011. This song, based on the slogans of the protesters, calling on former…
Thumbnail of

08/03/2011

Episode 1 of the satirical show, the Bassem Youssef Show. This episode was filmed at Youssef's home and distributed over the internet. At the time, he…
Thumbnail of

05/02/2011

The song is entitled "Ya Masr Hanit wi Banit Kollaha Kam Youm” (Be Patient, Egypt, the Light of Day is about to Emerge). It became a hit after it was…
Thumbnail of

10/02/2011

The song was composed during the first 18 days of the Egyptian Revolution in 2011. It was one of the very first songs to celebrate the revolutionary…
Thumbnail of

15/02/2012

The song was composed to pay tribute to the martyrs of the revolution. The lyrics are written by poet Mustapha Ibrahim, and sung by Bassim Wadei`. The…
Thumbnail of

09/09/2013

The film was released in 2013 and was written and directed by Ahmad Abdalla, who also directed the 2011 film 'Microphone'. It tells the story of a…
Thumbnail of

08/04/2012

The song was produced in 2012, lyrics by Walid Taher, sung and composed by Youssra El-Hawary, who also plays the accordion. The song satirises the…
Thumbnail of

29/11/2011

The song was produced in 2011 to celebrate the people's solidarity and unity on Tahrir Square during the first 18 days of the Revolution. It is…
Thumbnail of video

22/12/2011

The song was produced in late 2011 after the famous cabinet sit-in and the violence directed against the protesters by the military. The lyrics…
Thumbnail of Video clip

08/02/2011

The song was one of many composed in the early days of the 2011 Revolution to pay tribute to the martyrs and their families. It was sung by musicians…
Thumbnail of

12/06/2013

This is a YouTube clip from Mona al-Shazly's programme "Gomla Moufida". The song was composed by the gifted poet Mustapha Ibrahim and sung by the…
Thumbnail of

30/11/2011

A photograph of graffiti in Cairo celebrating the bravery of Samira Ibrahim, who raised a court case against the doctor who performed a so-called…
Thumbnail of

26/02/2018

This satirical song was released in February 2018, criticising the 4-year rule of President Abdel-Fatah El-Sisi, telling him that 'enough is enough'.…
Thumbnail of

23/08/2017

In this song, the members of the band are gathered around their grandmother who has supernatural powers and tells them that by the year 2063 all of…
Thumbnail of

25/11/2012

Graffiti showing then Muslim Brotherhood president Mohammed Morsi as an octopus swimming in blood, with the word 'Leave' written at the top of the…
Thumbnail of

24/11/2012

This graffiti image is a tribute to Gaber Salah (aka Jika), who was the first martyr to fall during the term of former Muslim Brotherhood president…
Thumbnail of

23/11/2012

The image shows the faces of three dictators who all maintained the same oppressive regime: Hosni Mubarak (former president of Egypt, who stepped down…
Thumbnail of YouTube video.

26/06/2017

"Sawra", meaning 'revolution', is a call for people to revolt against oppression and also recalls the slogans of the 2011 Egyptian revolution: "Bread,…
Thumbnail of

25/02/2016

The song is addressed to young soldiers or conscripts in the Egyptian army who are starting their service (usually 18 years old). The singer is…
Thumbnail of

30/01/2014

In the Egyptian popular context, the phrase “Reg‘eit Rima” (Rima is back), implies that someone is going back to their old habits. Here, it is a…
Thumbnail of

12/09/2016

Similar to other songs by Bahgaga band, this song uses satire and dark humour to underline the state of poverty, from which many Egyptians have been…
Thumbnail of

12/03/2011

The song was produced during the early days of the January 2011 Revolution and the video was filmed in Tahrir Square and includes footage from the 18…
Thumbnail of

27/09/2014

This film is based on the story of Mary Danial, the sister of Mena Danial, who was killed in the 'Maspero massacre', on 9 October 2011, in which the…
Thumbnail of YouTube video.

12/01/2013

Through this song, Yasser Elmanawehly, one of the voices of the 2011 revolution, expresses his dismay at the erasure of street graffiti by the…
Thumbnail of

01/12/2012

This collection of graffiti by various artists is considered an important archive for different phases of the 2011 revolution as expressed in street…
Thumbnail of

16/01/2013

In the attached clip, poet Mustapha Ibrahim recites one of his poems from the collection El Manifesto. Ibrahim took part in the 2011 protests and…
Thumbnail of

27/12/2011

The lyrics by poet Amin Haddad and sung by Eskenderella Band in the aftermath of the 2011 Revolution pay tribute to the Egyptian people and their…
Thumbnail of

21/12/2011

The song's lyrics were composed by poet Amin Haddad and sung by Eskenderella Band in the aftermath of the Mohammed Mahmoud street protests in November…
Thumbnail of

25/01/2012

Poet Tamim al-Barghouthi recites this famous poem. "Oh Egyptian People" in this video clip, which was produced by Qabila TV music for the first…
Thumbnail of

01/02/2014

The song was made in early 2014 to reflect the dismay and state of frustration of many people who took part in the 2011 revolution, including members…
Thumbnail of

17/12/2011

The video shows Egyptian military police beating a woman during the Cabinet sit-in during December 2011. The video went viral and caused outrage in…
Thumbnail of Video clip.

25/03/2012

The series of short interviews entitled "Words of Women from the Egyptian Revolution" was created by filmmaker Leil Zahra. In this video clip,…
Thumbnail of

09/08/2012

In this video clip, part of a series of short interviews entitled "Words of Women from the Egyptian Revolution", filmmaker Leil Zahra documents the…
Thumbnail of Video clip.

17/08/2012

As part of a series of interviews with women activists in "Words of Women from the Egyptian Revolution", filmmaker Leil Zahra interviews the young…
Thumbnail of

01/02/2013

Grafitti depicting organised mass sexual assaults against women protesters in and around Tahrir Square in 2013.
Thumbnail of

09/11/2016

This cartoon by journalist and cartoonist Andeel depicts presidents Sisi and Trump as gangsters, like those in Hollywood films. The two presidents are…
Thumbnail of

06/05/2016

In this image, cartoonist and journalist Andeel satirizes President El-Sisi. Here, the president is playing with children's toys whilst the phrases he…
Thumbnail of

01/02/2018

Cartoonist and journalist Andeel has created a YouTube series entitled "Big Brother", in which he acts as an imaginary 'brother' to Egyptians who…
Thumbnail of

01/02/2013

Graffiti created as part of a movement to break the silence around sexual harassment.
Thumbnail of

08/02/2013

Yasmin Baramawy speaks about her ordeal of being gang raped for around 2 hours after attending a protest in Tahrir Square in 2012. This is one of the…
Thumbnail of

20/12/2011

Video report about a women's march against the rule of SCAF and against the use of violence against women protesters by the military. A few days…
Thumbnail of

12/11/2017

"Big Brother" is a satirical YouTube series, in which cartoonist and journalist Andeel acts as an imaginary 'brother' to Egyptians who likes to give…
Thumbnail of

02/11/2012

This song mocks state propaganda in portraying the IMF as the saviour of Egyptians from poverty and need. As the Egyptian state justifies the large…
Thumbnail of

21/09/2011

TV show presenter Reem Maged is in conversation with novelist Ahmed Khaled Towfik, a pioneer of the genre of science fiction and horror in Arabic, who…
Thumbnail of

27/01/2012

This song describes the optimal characteristics for a future leader of Egypt. Controversially, the song ends with the following lines:
"Looks don’t…
Thumbnail of

01/07/2013

A family story that traces shifts in modern Egyptian history. This widely acclaimed drama series, released in Ramadan 2013, is based on the novel by…
Thumbnail of

15/08/2011

This Ramadan TV show from 2011 was highly acclaimed. Mowaten X is a contemporary murder mystery that deals with police brutality. Many viewers…
Thumbnail of Audio file

11/07/2012

A 33-year old Egyptian filmmaker and photographer tells of his experience of Egypt’s 2011 Revolution and discusses how it inspired artists and…
Thumbnail of Audio file

12/05/2014

A 65 year-old artist gives her account of her experience of the 2011 revolution in Egypt. She took part in student protests in 1972 in Alexandria and…
Thumbnail of

01/05/2011

Iconic post-uprising street art, Ganzeer's 'Tank versus Bike' depicts a man on a bicycle delivering bread - a common sight in Egypt - being confronted…
Thumbnail of

31/10/2011

Free Alaa Abdel-Fattah stencils from 2011. Alaa Abdel-Fattah, a prominent revolutionary activist, was imprisoned on several occasions after 2011 for…
Thumbnail of

05/02/2012

A mural on Mohamed Mahmoud Street commemorating those killed at a football match in Port Said in February 2012. More than 70 Al-Ahly fans were killed…
Thumbnail of

02/11/2013

This image depicts an Egyptian soldier standing over a pile of dead corpses; a clear criticism of the massive death toll under military rule.
Thumbnail of

15/02/2016

Graffiti in Berlin by Egyptian street artist El Teneen commemorating Giulio Regeni. Regeni, an Italian student pursuing a PhD at the University of…
Thumbnail of

15/04/2011

A depiction of the revolution and its success in ousting former president Hosni Mubarak, represented here as the king surrounded by pawns. This image…
Thumbnail of

26/01/2016

This image raises awareness about unprecedented censorship and attacks on freedom of expression under the regime of El-Sisi. Of note, the government…
Thumbnail of

26/01/2016

"The army protected the revolution. Of course." Screenprint on paper. This image, part of a series, is an ironic statement, highlighting that, despite…
Thumbnail of

04/01/2016

"Presidential hobbies #freedomofexpression." This cartoon makes fun of the idea that President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi is a supporter of freedom. Under…
Thumbnail of

11/07/2013

This cartoon, originally published by Al-Masry Al-Youm Online, is a clear condemnation of the violence perpetrated post-July 2013 against the Muslim…
Thumbnail of

31/05/2014

This cartoon satirises the large number of political prisoners held under the regime of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. In the first few months…
Thumbnail of

18/09/2013

“May Our Lord punish them,” says the driver.

“May Our Lord punish them,” replies the passenger.

By agreeing to disagree, two Egyptians…
Thumbnail of

09/09/2016

El-Sisi: 'Obviously I must be right...right?' This cartoon mocks President El-Sisi, who pretends to have all the answers.
Thumbnail of

16/08/2012

Sad Panda is known for his images depicting sadness or gloom. This graffiti captured the mood amongst many activists at this time.
Thumbnail of

01/11/2013

This famous mural depicts Sayed Khaled, painted with angel wings, the youngest martyr of the revolution. The Arabic reads: "Glory to the…
Thumbnail of

16/10/2013

Famous street artists Ammar Abo Bakr and El Zeft created this poster art as a tribute to Belal Ali Saber -- a young man killed whilst marching in a…
Thumbnail of

03/12/2011

This image highlights the theme of silence, self-censorship and looking the other way. It alludes to the failure of people to stand up to and speak…
Thumbnail of

15/09/2012

Zeft's iconic Nefertiti and her gas mask, created as a tribute to the role of Egyptian women in the revolution. This image was often used in placards,…
Thumbnail of

20/02/2012

These images depict a mother mourning her child. They refer to the mothers of the martyrs - those killed by the police during anti-regime protests.…
Thumbnail of

25/03/2012

This is an iconic mural. It depicts protesters as graceful dancers, dodging the tear gas of the police, celebrating the bravery of those who faced up…
Thumbnail of

25/03/2012

Samira Ibrahim above an army of faces of Ahmed Adel El Mogy, the doctor against whom she brought a court case for conducting so-called virginity…
Thumbnail of

25/03/2012

Tomorrow and Yesterday: commemorating the Port Said massacre on one side, and portraying hope for the future on the other. This mural was also painted…
Thumbnail of

05/06/2012

Saad Zaghloul gives the finger to the presidential elections of 2012. Zaghloul is a popular figure in the Egyptian imagination, a leader of the 1919…
Thumbnail of

05/06/2012

This fascinating stencil image represents justice as a belly-dancer wearing a military beret, holding a scales. There are multiple layers to this…
Thumbnail of

05/06/2012

Muslim Brotherhood and SCAF politicians eating a woman's corpse. This image could be read in two ways. First, it suggests that women are always used…
Thumbnail of

11/08/2011

"The people want the fall of the regime". This graffiti image, depicting Syrian president Bashar al Assad, expresses solidarity with Syrians seeking…
Thumbnail of

07/08/2011

In this image, a protester tries to break down 'corruption' while a member of SCAF watches and does nothing. This image reflects the growing…
Thumbnail of

07/08/2011

'I miss you tear gas'. The tear gas canister has 'Made in USA: Expiry 2003' written on it. The image refers to the tear gas that was used against…
Thumbnail of

26/01/2012

'Clean your brain so that nobody brainwashes you'. A common theme amongst revolutionary activists in the post-2011 period was that of brainwashing.…
Thumbnail of

24/06/2011

This vivid image shows a fist, adorned with a cross and a crescent, representing unity between Muslims and Christians, breaking through military…
Thumbnail of

01/06/2011

A grim futuristic account of Egyptian society in the year 2023. Originally published in Arabic in 2008, Utopia is a sharp criticism of Egyptian…
Thumbnail of

19/01/2012

Egyptian novelist and writer Ahdaf Soueif narrates her history of Cairo and her journey through the first few months of the 2011 revolution,…
Thumbnail of

07/02/2012

Pharaonic women going to battle. This famous mural, painted on the walls of Mohamed Mahmoud Street, depicts the gendered dimensions of the Egyptian…
Thumbnail of

02/06/2015

This is a video of the band Bent al-Masarwa performing live. The band made their first album in 2015, after meeting at a creative writing workshop…
Thumbnail of

01/04/2017

An online archive of voices of Egyptian people, documenting their understandings and perceptions of events after 2011. Material for the Dictionary was…
Thumbnail of

21/12/2012

An angel informs Adam and Eve that they would not have been forced to leave paradise if they had voted 'yes' in the referendum on the 2012…
Thumbnail of

03/07/2013

The cartoon refers to a national address given by former president Morsi, hours before the military deposed him, in which he declared that he would…
Thumbnail of

02/06/2013

This cartoon criticises the practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) (also termed Female Genital Cutting).
Thumbnail of

21/01/2013

This cartoon was created in the wake of the referendum approving the 2012 Egyptian constitution. It criticises the new constitution for failing to…
Thumbnail of

27/12/2012

The cartoon depicts the daughter of ancient Egyptian pharaoh, Akhnaton. It pays tribute to those Egyptian women who cut their hair in Tahrir Square…
Thumbnail of

11/02/2013

The cartoon was drawn in defiance of the alarming increase in sexual assaults against women protesters in 2013. It was particularly inspired by the…
Thumbnail of

07/08/2013

The cartoon criticises what the artist believes to be US President Obama's support for the Muslim Brotherhood following the US criticism of the…
Thumbnail of

16/08/2013

The cartoon criticises the Muslim Brotherhood for the deaths of hundreds of protesters at the hands of the security forces on 14 August 2013. The…
Thumbnail of

17/08/2013

The cartoonist views the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization. The accompanying text in English says: 'If the elephant passes through the…
Thumbnail of

08/12/2012

The cartoon depicts the Muslim Brothers hijacking a taxi and killing the driver. The taxi represents the Egyptian revolution. In other words, the…
Thumbnail of

25/09/2013

The song addresses the situation in Egypt after the army's removal of Mohamed Morsy in July 2013. The narrator wants to give up and turn away from…
Thumbnail of

03/03/2016

Cherophobia means 'fear of happiness'. The song is meant to reflect the feelings amongst the Egyptian youth in the post-revolutionary period.
Thumbnail of

18/12/2016

According to Ayman Massoud, a member of Massar Egbari, in a conversation in 2017, the song was made in 2014 but the video was made in 2016. "It is a…
Thumbnail of

13/02/2015

The song title means, 'You fall and you get up'. It expresses feelings of sadness and resignation. It aims to reflect the feelings of the youth living…
Thumbnail of

11/04/2013

Taken from Massar Egbari's first album, 'Read the News' (2013), the song expresses defiance in the face of violence and authoritarianism.
Thumbnail of

02/08/2011

Following the success of his satirical YouTube show B+, Bassem Youssef was offered a weekly show with TV network ONTV. Youssef's show came to be one…
Thumbnail of

04/08/2018

A parody of Drake's 2018 hit, 'Kiki'. It replaces the original lyrics with ones describing the economic challenges facing Egyptians, accompanied by a…
Thumbnail of

17/01/2013

This Oscar-nominated documentary follows the trajectory of several Tahrir Square protestors who took part in the first 18 days of the 2011 revolution,…
Thumbnail of

13/10/2016

Cairo - 2013, two years after the Egyptian revolution, demonstrators of divergent political and religious backgrounds are forcibly detained together…
Thumbnail of

14/02/2016

This film within a film is a haunting, lyrical chronicle of recent years in the Arab world, where revolutions seemed to spark hope for change and…
Thumbnail of

01/01/2016

This critically acclaimed documentary about sexual harassment in Egypt uses women’s direct accounts of sexual harassment, in addition to body camera…
Thumbnail of

17/01/2014

Crop is an absorbing account of the 2011 Egyptian revolution - one that includes no images of the popular uprising itself. Filmed entirely within the…
Thumbnail of

14/09/2010

This film, directed by Ahmad Abdalla, is considered to have anticipated the 25 January 2011 revolution. It highlights the underground youth culture…
Thumbnail of

11/09/2012

Viola Shafik's 'Scent of Revolution' traces the Egyptian revolution through the eyes of four different people of different generations living though…
Thumbnail of

28/10/2013

Amid a cacophony of car horns and swearing, on the manic streets of Cairo Egyptians vent their frustrations and air their hopes and joys. With a cast…
Thumbnail of

01/02/2012

Every time 22-year-old Heba Afify heads out to cover the historical events shaping her country's future, her mother is compelled to remind her, "I…
Thumbnail of

12/12/2011

'Goodbye Mubarak!' takes us to Egypt during the fall of 2010, in the run-up to legislative elections. What we discover is a revolution-in-waiting…
Thumbnail of

19/02/2012

Inspired by the book ‘Tweets from Tahrir’ by Nadia Idle and Alex Nunns, this film follows the experiences of five young, English-speaking ‘tweeps’. A…
Thumbnail of

18/05/2011

Ten short films made by ten different directors about the first 18 days of the 2011 Egyptian Revolution.
Thumbnail of

17/12/2011

This is a widely-distributed, deeply disturbing film intended to highlight the disproportionately violent response of the SCAF regime against…
Thumbnail of

28/06/2013

A song by a group of acappella singers in support of the Tamarod (meaning 'rebel') campaign, which aimed to force early presidential elections to…
Thumbnail of

09/07/2013

This song by a famous Egyptian singer was released in the summer of 2013, following the military's removal from power of Muslim Brotherhood president…
Thumbnail of

09/07/2013

Officer: "I am killing him because he is a terrorist". Bearded man: "I am a terrorist because he is killing me". This cartoon aims to criticise the…
Thumbnail of

09/07/2013

This cartoon was created during heightened polarisation in Egypt between supporters of deposed president, Mohamed Morsi, and supporters of the army…
Thumbnail of

27/10/2012

In this song, Youssra El-Hawary pokes fun at conservative norms. The lyrics describe how people do different things on the streets, including killing…
Thumbnail of

18/01/2013

These songs by the popular Choir Project band were shown on Bassem Youssef's TV show El Bernameg. They are humorous, satirical and politically…
Thumbnail of TV news programme

29/01/2011

In this clip, the much loved vernacular poet Ahmed Fouad Negm celebrates the revolution during its early days. Throughout his life, he wrote many…
Thumbnail of

02/03/2011

This episode of the Baladna Bilmasry TV talk show became very famous for playing a part in the resignation of then prime minister Ahmed Shafiq. During…
Thumbnail of

29/01/2011

The song "Let's Dream" was composed in the early days of the 2011 Revolution and sung by a group of Tunisian and Egyptian singers in celebration of…
Thumbnail of

10/08/2014

The song and video clip depict women's everyday experiences of sexual harassment and highlight the problem of society blaming the victim.
Thumbnail of

05/08/2013

This song, by belly dancer Sama El-Masry, released the month following the military coup against Mohamed Morsi, accuses US President Obama of…
Thumbnail of

14/11/2012

This song, sung by belly dancer Sama El-Masry, mocks the Muslim Brotherhood. It was a viral hit amongst opponents of former president Mohammed Morsi…
Thumbnail of

10/06/2013

Members of the Cairo ballet perform to 'Zorba the Greek' on the street outside the Ministry of Culture in June 2013 as part of a month-long protest…
Thumbnail of

10/05/2016

This sketch by satirical performance group Atfal al-Shawarea mocks the controversial Saudi-Egypt agreement in 2016 over the Red Sea Islands. Following…
Thumbnail of

15/10/2013

The cartoon depicts a craftsman sculpting a large pharaoh with the face of then General Abdel-Fatah El-Sisi, head of the army. The caption underneath…
Thumbnail of

12/12/2015

'Nawara', the story of a downtrodden maid's experience of the revolution, scooped international prizes but mediocre returns at the box office in…
Thumbnail of

07/12/2011

In January 2011, two filmmakers captured the reality of the Egyptian revolution as it occurred out of view from the world's media in the alleyways and…
Thumbnail of

11/01/2013

The film takes us behind the scenes of the Egyptian revolution, its leaders and participants, including four Nobel Peace Prize nominees. “Their…
Thumbnail of

13/11/2012

A feature documentary originally planned as a three-part television series. Through the life of an Egyptian family, it covers the six months between…
Thumbnail of

10/08/2012

Months before the 25 January 2011 uprising, many talked of revolution - but no one knew when that day would come. This story - filmed in the fourteen…
Thumbnail of

29/11/2016

This documentary tells the story of the rise of Bassem Youssef from heart surgeon to the host of the Arab world's most popular TV show, the satirical…
Thumbnail of

18/12/2015

From controversial subjects to risqué material, the Arab world’s most vociferous puppet talks about her early career in advertising and her plans for…
Thumbnail of

07/02/2014

In this episode of the satirical show, El Bernameg, Bassem Youssef focuses on the difficulties of making satirical comedy in the midst of a violent…
Thumbnail of

04/08/2013

If there is one song that is immediately associated with the military coup of 3 July 2013, then it is “Teslam El-Ayadi” ("Bless Your Hands" or "May…
Thumbnail of

07/07/2013

Song using Egyptian children to venerate the army in the wake of the army's removal of former president Mohamed Morsi.
Thumbnail of

01/03/2013

This episode made fun of various comments made by then president Mohamed Morsi and led to Bassem Youssef's arrest for insulting the president and…
Thumbnail of

22/09/2012

In this song, rock band Cairokee put to music “Al-ahzan al-‘adeyya” (Ordinary Sorrows, 1981) by legendary vernacular poet Abdel Rahman al-Abnoudi.…
Thumbnail of

04/09/2013

“Masr le kol al-Masryeen” (Egypt for all Egyptians) is a celebratory riposte at the Brotherhood, variously accused of attempting to turn Egypt into…
Thumbnail of

21/06/2013

Bassem Youssef mocks government/Muslim Brotherhood narratives that foreign spies are lurking in every corner, bringing on his idol Jon Stewart.
Thumbnail of

05/04/2016

Director Tamer El Said and actor Khalid Abdalla discuss their film 'In the Last Days of the City' following its North American Premiere at New…
Thumbnail of

23/12/2013

Documentary-maker Jehane Noujaim happened to be heading to her family home a few blocks from Tahrir Square in Egypt when the Egyptian revolution broke…
Thumbnail of

14/10/2016

"Shooting action scenes in Cairo was suicidal" says Diab. The director of 'Clash', a thriller set within the confines of a police van as political…
Thumbnail of

27/05/2017

Video Clip from Kalabsh Season 1. This Ramadan series follows the journey of Selim Al-Ansary, a hardworking police officer, who was wrongly accused of…
Thumbnail of

30/04/2018

This film, released for the 2018 Eid holiday, smashed box office records in Egypt. The storyline revolves around a police officer, General Youssif…
Thumbnail of

01/06/2016

This film explores the eery reality of Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt's Sinai Peninsual. Once a popular holiday destination, Sharm El Sheikh is now…
Thumbnail of

12/02/2011

This mural, located on the outside walls of the Faculty of Fine Arts, Zamalek, Cairo, was one of many painted by students to celebrate the 25 January…
Thumbnail of

12/02/2011

This street art, on the walls of the Faculty of Fine Arts, was painted some time in 2011. The figure of the mummy refers to Egypt, which is shouting,…
Thumbnail of

24/11/2013

This film explores the 'mahragan' music scene through the lives of three young musicians. 'Mahragan' is a style of music that emerged from the most…
Thumbnail of

28/02/2013

Egyptians protesting against then President Mohammed Morsi performed the internet meme, the "Harlem Shake" outside the headquarters of the Muslim…
Thumbnail of

25/11/2016

Nour is a song by the famous Egyptian rapper Zap Tharwat featuring the renowned actor Amina Khalil. The song was developed under the leadership of the…
Thumbnail of

30/09/2013

Live performance at El Sawy Culture Wheel, one of the few music venues in Cairo. The song is a social commentary on poor urban planning that leads to…
Thumbnail of

04/02/2013

This episode of the popular talk show 'Hina al-Asima' was dedicated to discussing mass sexual harassment of women protesters in and around Tahrir…
Thumbnail of

26/04/2019

Filming Revolution is a collection of interviews, film clips and thematic texts on the subject of documentary and independent filmmaking in Egypt…
Thumbnail of

11/06/2011

This blog by 'Suzee in the City' documented street art and graffiti on the streets of Cairo and beyond in the period following the 25 January 2011…
Thumbnail of

01/03/2011

Tahrir Documents is an archive of activist papers from the 2011 Egyptian uprising and its aftermath. Materials were collected from demonstrations in…
Thumbnail of

03/08/2017

In this debut novel, Hamilton tells the story of the Egyptian revolution beautifully and powerfully through the lives of young activists, Mariam and…
Thumbnail of

11/02/2018

This is an archive of video footage shot by various Egyptian citizens, during the period 2011-2013. It is curated by a media collective called…
Thumbnail of

28/01/2016

While tens of thousands of protestors gathered in cities across Egypt in January 2011, poor villagers in the country’s south followed the tense…
Thumbnail of

27/05/2012

This song, by Ultras Ahlawy tells the story of the emergence of the group and their role in the 2011 revolution, including the massacre of 74 Ultras…
Thumbnail of

31/01/2018

In this award-winning collection of six short stories, writer Muhammad El-Hajj, who has also written films and screenplays, explores feelings of loss,…
Thumbnail of

24/09/2012

It was in the extraordinary and historic city of Suez that the first martyr of the Egyptian revolution fell. But the city has long been the gateway to…
Thumbnail of mp3

15/11/16

Dr Sara Salem asks Philip Rizk about the making of the documentary film 'Out on the Street' ('Barra fil-sharia`) with Yasmina Metwaly, state…
Thumbnail of

25/03/2018

Dr Dina Rezk interviews former heart surgeon turned comedian Bassem Youssef in Los Angeles asking him about humour in Egypt, the huge success of his…
Thumbnail of

15/03/2013

Sadat and Fifty are very successful mahragan musicians. This song is encouraging men not to sexually harass women. In 2013, there was a high incidence…
Thumbnail of

17/02/2011

This is a short video explaining the idea behind Tahrir Monologues, a storytelling project founded on 17 February 2011. Initially, the project aimed…
Thumbnail of

01/04/2011

In this mahragan track, Sadat and Fifty endorse the revolution but also poke fun at one of its most famous slogans, turning attention to people's…
Thumbnail of

31/07/2013

Trailer for an action-thriller film about a young man caught up in criminal activities. The film stars Mohamed Ramadan, who plays a tough guy with a…
Thumbnail of mp3

03/04/2019

In this interview, Nicola Pratt asks Professor Hoda Elsadda of Cairo University about archives.
Thumbnail of

05/04/2018

Abdullah El-Sherif is an Islamist-leaning Youtube personality who models his show on Bassem Youssef (and by extension, Jon Stewart), in the style of a…
Thumbnail of

30/06/2011

A singer-songwriter who rose to fame shortly after the 2011 revolution, with this song a particular hit. He also performed in front of protesters in…
Thumbnail of

30/01/2013

This book documents the graffiti of the first 2 years of the revolution. It is probably one of the most comprehensive collections of the street art…
Thumbnail of

20/06/2011

Excerpts from Laila Soliman's interactive theatre performance 'No Time for Art'. The play, performed in June 2011, tells stories of the uprising and…
Thumbnail of

13/10/2013

A 'nasheed' (verse put to very minimal music, translated as 'anthem') that was popular among Islamists and supporters of former president Mohamed…
Thumbnail of

30/08/2011

This feature film is a slapstick comedy set in a working-class neighbourhood in the wake of the 25 January 2011 revolution. The film revolves around…
Thumbnail of

28/01/2011

Spoken word poet Tamim al-Barghouti recited this poem on Al-Jazeera Mubasher on 28 January 2011 - dubbed the 'Day of Rage' by protesters. The poem…
Thumbnail of

25/01/2011

This footage, probably recorded on a mobile phone, quickly went viral. It shows protesters on Qasr al-Aini Street, approaching Tahrir Square, on 25…
Thumbnail of

04/04/2013

This award-winning documentary, aired internationally in 2014, tracks several musicians from Egypt's underground heavy metal scene, including the sons…
Thumbnail of

05/12/2007

“This is Chaos” (Hiyya Fawda, in Arabic), is an Egyptian-French 2007 co-production and the last film by internationally-acclaimed Egyptian director…
Thumbnail of

08/07/2012

In this video, recorded in Ramallah, at the 2012 Palestine International Festival, Egyptian singer Maryam Saleh sings 'Nixon Baba', originally written…
Thumbnail of

10/12/2011

Filmed between 25 January 25 and 27 May 2011, the film tracks four months of the Egyptian revolution as seen through the director’s eyes. As one of…
Thumbnail of

06/05/2014

This book documents the first years of the Egyptian revolution through its street art. The book is organised chronologically. The images of street art…
Thumbnail of

20/04/2017

A mix of memoir and a humorous take on the Egyptian revolution. Bassem Youssef tells the story of the rise and fall of his satirical TV show, El…
Thumbnail of

17/05/2018

This Ramadan TV series was shown on Egyptian TV in 2018 and is available to stream on Netflix. It follows 2 interlinked mysteries - one set in the…
Thumbnail of

03/10/2018

This crime drama film is set during the height of clashes between security forces and protesters. A forensic doctor, suffering from alcoholism,…
Thumbnail of

15/05/2016

This award-winning novel, originally published in Arabic in 2013, is set in an unnamed Middle Eastern country, yet is clearly relevant to…
Thumbnail of

15/10/2016

2025: fourteen years after the failed revolution, Egypt is invaded by a vicious foreign militant organization called the Knights of the Republic of…
Thumbnail of

11/02/2012

This stencil on the walls of Cairo University supports a general strike called by the Egyptian Federation of Independent Trade Unions for 11 February…
Thumbnail of

16/12/2011

This stencil on the walls of Cairo University commemorates Ahmed Mansour, a student at the university, who was killed during clashes between the…
Thumbnail of

12/02/2011

A collection of demands expressed by individual citizens, pinned to a tree in Tahrir Square. It demonstrates the differences amongst ordinary…
Thumbnail of

18/06/2011

People demonstrate in Hussein Square, in Islamic Cairo, calling for the police to return to the streets.
Thumbnail of

25/12/2012

This video montage, to the music of the 2012 K-Pop hit by PSY, pokes fun at Tawfiq Okasha, political commentator and controversial host of the 'Egypt…
Thumbnail of

16/01/2014

These are a selection of posters and banners found on the streets of Cairo in the run-up to the January 2014 constitutional referendum. The…
Thumbnail of

24/07/2013

These are some of the examples of posters and banners seen around the streets of Cairo in the weeks and months following the removal of the Muslim…
Thumbnail of

01/03/2017

This graffiti transliterates Sisi's name into the Latin alphabet letters 'C C'. In the wake of the July 2013 coup and the closing down of public…
Thumbnail of

25/11/2011

These images of people wearing eye patches were painted on the walls of the downtown American University in Cairo campus on Mohamed Mahmoud Street in…
Thumbnail of

25/09/2015

In an acting workshop in a working-class Cairo neighborhood, 10 men recount episodes of exploitation, humiliation and injustice; their stories centre…
Thumbnail of

01/07/2006

This collection of photos taken by journalist and blogger Hossam El-Hamalawy constitutes a rich archive of images of the revolutionary period of…
Thumbnail of

25/01/2012

Tahrir-Liberation Square is a 90 minute documentary by Stefano Savona. It follows Noha, Ahmed and Elsayed as street protests become a revolution. “Day…
Thumbnail of

08/09/2011

This three-part film was made in 2011 by three different directors: Tamer Ezzat, Ayten Amin, and Amr Salama, with the participation of director Ahmad…
Thumbnail of

10/02/2011

Several days before former president Hosni Mubarak stepped down, internet activist, Wael Ghonim, gave this emotional interview to Mona El-Shazly, the…
Thumbnail of

10/02/2011

Several days before former president Hosni Mubarak stepped down, internet activist, Wael Ghonim, gave this emotional interview to Mona El-Shazly, the…