As soon as you step into the entrance to Bab El Bahr Street, one of the streets of ancient Egypt in central Cairo, the smells of sweets that Egyptians used to make and eat while they were happy, smell to celebrate the birth of the Prophet Muhammad.
On both sides of the historic street near the Fatimid Cairo area, sweets makers sit in front of their shops, and behind them are the "Mawlid Sweets" products on wooden shelves, most notably brides and horses made entirely of sugar and decorated with many colors and glossy materials to bring joy to Egyptians.
The Fatimids were the first to celebrate the Prophet's birthday in Egypt during their reign nearly a thousand years ago. Bab al-Bahr was the source of the confectionery industry and its distribution to revive Fatimid Cairo at the time.
In one of the narrow lanes of the street, filled with colorful paper and ornaments, a group of women, dressed in embroidered black robes, stood happily and enthusiastically.
"We come to Bab Al Bahr at this time of year to do the job of decorating sweets even though it is not our job," said one of them, declining to give her name.
Saturday, November 9, according to the Islamic calendar 12 Rabi I, corresponds to the date of birth of the Prophet Muhammad, and Muslims in many countries are preparing to commemorate the birth of the Prophet, more than 1450 years after the birth of the Prophet Muhammad in Mecca.
At a candy factory in Bab al-Bahr, Agence France-Presse spotted the way to create candy sculptures ranging from horses, brides, mosques and ships, where workers dissolve large quantities of sugar and then discharge it into briquettes made of wood.
"I am a carpenter of doors and windows and I have been keen to come every year for 35 years, because I love decorating sweets," said Haji Abdo, 56, who has been busy cutting colored paper and pasting it on statues.
He added: "Bab al-Bahr is the king of sweetness and prices are available for the rich and poor from 20 pounds to 150 pounds (between one and eight dollars) per kilogram."
Egypt's confectionery is not limited to statues, but many products are made from nuts and watered with honey, such as peanuts, sesame and chickpeas.
On a huge bowl filled with boiled honey, a 25-year-old man named al-Sayyed stood up stirring the content with a big wooden spoon. "I have been working here for 12 years and after the birthdays, we are making chocolate and dessert," he said.