Cairo (AFP)
From the entrance of Bab el-Bahr Street, in a popular Cairo neighborhood, the sweet smell of confectionery greets the passer-by at this festive time when Muslims prepare to celebrate the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad.
In their stalls, artisan candy makers are busy with the "Mouled", a holiday marking November 9th as the Prophet's birthday.
Among the products on display behind them are local specialties made only to celebrate the "Mouled": dolls, palates or knights entirely in sugar, all decorated with fans and brightly colored aluminum foils.
Some candies are made from nuts, peanuts, sesame seeds and chickpeas, before being sprayed with honey.
Alone or with their children, passionate candies for the "Mouled" came to lend a hand to the craftsmen.
"We come to Bab al-Bahr at this time of the year to decorate candies," told AFP a woman, who prefers to remain anonymous, sitting behind a stall where sugar statuettes are waiting to be embellished.
While children run happily around her, the woman is delighted with the "happy atmosphere" that reigns in this street with dozens of candy stalls.
Sunni Muslims in different parts of the world celebrate the Prophet's birthday on the 12th day of the third month of the Islamic calendar, which falls on November 9 this year.
1450 years ago, the Prophet Muhammad was born on the territory of present-day Saudi Arabia, in Mecca, the first holy city of Islam.
The tradition of candies celebrating the "Mouled" date in Egypt from the Fatimid dynasty, about 1,000 years ago.
"For 35 years, I come every year because I like decorating sweets," says Abdou, 56. "These sweets are available to both the rich and the poor, with prices ranging from 20 to 150 pounds (from 1 to 8 euros)," adds the professional carpenter.
A little further on, a 25-year-old man stirs the contents of a huge saucepan of boiled honey with a large wooden spoon and one of his colleagues pours sesame seeds and nuts.
"I have been working in this shop since I was 12," he says. "After (the end of Mouled), we go back to ordinary chocolates and sweets."
© 2019 AFP