Qena, Egypt - Feb 24, 2024: Tahtib in “Mawlid Sidi al-Qenawi”

In Upper Egypt, there is an Egyptian heritage that is not properly recognized, called the Mermah. It is a traditional competition between tribes. It begins in the second half of the Islamic month of Shaaban, for three nights, coinciding with the celebrations of “Mawlid Sidi al-Qenawi” or the birth of Abd al-Rahim al-Qenawi and many other saints. Al-Marma is the oldest fencing competition in the history of Egypt. On their horses, the youth of Upper Egypt gather annually to display their fencing skills while riding their horses, as well as demonstrate their dancing abilities with their horses. Tahtib is the term for a traditional stick-fighting martial art, The original martial version of tahtib later evolved into an Egyptian folk dance with a wooden stick. It is commonly described in English as a "stick dance", "cane dance", "stick-dancing game", or as ritual mock combat accompanied by music.