E

Egyptian

Raqs Sharqi, (literally, ‘Eastern Dance’) is the classical, popular and folk dance of Egypt. It is rooted in pre Islamic times and its traditions have been passed on over the centuries. It is taught within the family as a social grace, and ornaments many celebrations. It has always survived in its folk form, but there have been periods in the history of Egypt when the classical dance has been exalted and refined, particularly in the Islamic courts of the 10th and 11th centuries, and in the 18th century courts of the Ottoman rulers of Egypt.