Abo ElHagag ElOxori’s Yard… Gets Ready to Welcome Tourists (Videograph)

Gehan Aboella

Video Graph

https://youtu.be/jaf-dWD_AZw

Standing on the famous Luxor temple grounds, turn your head a little to the right to see one of the most extraordinary scenes to ever exist, the minarets of a mosque, a church and a temple all existing in the same place or more specifically in the same building!

Once you enter the building your astonishment turns into admiration and you start observing the unique culture of the place. The yard of Sidi Abo ElHagag ElOxori’s mosque is a true representation of the fusion of cultures, civilizations and religions throughout history.

It’s a mosque built on a church standing on a pharaonic temple; rumor has it there’s also a Jewish temple in the place. ElSheikh Abo ElHagag’s grave lies in the mosque and the mosque’s columns are really pharaonic temple columns with pharaonic inscriptions and symbols.

Lying right next to the Sheikh’s grave is the grave of sister Theresa, the lady of the old church built on the temple. That’s three civilizations and religions fusing in one place to prove that Egypt is the cradle of civilizations and religions. Abo ElHagag chose to stay in Luxor after coming all the way from Iraq; he wanted to stay on the church’s land and after taking sister Theresa’s permission, the mosque was built on the church.

On the 14th of Shabaan of every year, a huge celebration is held called “Dawrat Abo ElHagag.” The celebration has its own customs and traditions that are so similar to how the ancient Egyptians celebrated the great god Amon. People come out to the mosque’s yard then start walking around the streets on Luxor to dance and ride horses and camels. Thousands of people drag a huge boat around the city with different people working on it like carpenters and millers.

The beautiful place isn’t just a mosque or a grave but a historical and cultural landscape; thus, the governorate renewed it from the inside and outside as a part of the Luxor development plan.

Dean Ayman ElSherif, the president of Luxor announced the the yard’s completion of development.

The floors were replaced with marble and granite, trees were decorated with yellow lanterns and flowers were organized beautifully due to the cooperation between the Engineering council and the G.U.C.’s students.