Moulid of Sayyid Ahmed al-Bedawi

Name: Moulid of Sayyid Ahmed al-Bedawi
Start: 2025-10-19
End: 2025-10-26
Location: Tanta

Egypt’s Largest Sufi Pilgrimage of Faith and Ecstasy

2025/10/19 - 2025/10/26

Every October, the city of Tanta in the Nile Delta is swept up in the fervor of the Moulid of Sayyid Ahmed al-Bedawi. For a full week, more than two million pilgrims, Sufi brotherhoods, and curious travelers fill the city to honor the 13th-century saint. The air is alive with the beat of drums, devotional songs, the scent of incense and street food, and the energy of faith and celebration that lasts all night. For those seeking spiritual elevation or a taste of Egypt’s living traditions, this moulid is a “miraculous week” for all the senses.

Drums echo through the crowds, green sashes and embroidered robes shimmer, the sweet aroma of roasted nuts and honey pastries drifts in the air, and thousands dance and pray around the saint’s shrine. For this week, Tanta becomes the very soul of Egyptian Sufism.

Main Attractions

The Grand Procession and Zikr Rituals

The highlight of the festival is the grand procession by Sufi brotherhoods (tariqas). With flags, drums, and flutes, they parade through Tanta, filling the city with prayers and songs of blessing. Day and night, zikr (ritual chanting of God’s name) continues in and around the shrine, with whirling dances and trance-like prayers enveloping the city. The music, faith, and hope for miracles electrify the atmosphere.

Street Markets and Carnival Atmosphere

The streets around the shrine turn into a giant fair, lined with stalls selling sweets, roasted nuts, toys, amulets, and Sufi memorabilia. The scent of incense, lanterns, and the lively bargaining fill the night.

Costumes and Decorations

Pilgrims and Sufi devotees dress in flowing robes, green sashes symbolizing the Prophet’s lineage, and white turbans. Banners with prayers, lanterns, and woven textiles decorate the shrine and city, weaving a tapestry of faith and festivity.

Cultural and Historical Background

The Moulid of Sayyid Ahmed al-Bedawi dates back to the 13th century, when the saint founded the Ahmadiyya order in Tanta. His shrine became a pilgrimage site, and the moulid celebrating his birth grew into Egypt’s largest Sufi festival. Blending Islamic faith, Sufi mysticism, and popular culture, it remains a vital place for spiritual cleansing, communal bonds, and tradition. For many Egyptians, attending the moulid is a blessing and a testament of faith for the year.

Today, the moulid is a symbol of Egypt’s religious diversity and Sufi heritage, a place to share the joy of faith and celebration.

Participant Voices

I visited as a tourist and was amazed by the hospitality. I shared meals in a tent and learned about Sufi traditions from pilgrims who had come from all over Egypt.

Fun Facts

The Moulid of Sayyid Ahmed al-Bedawi attracts over two million visitors each year, making it Egypt’s largest religious festival.
The festival lasts for a week, with the climax on the Thursday night closest to the saint’s birthday.
Many pilgrims sleep in tents or outdoors, turning the area around the shrine into a “temporary city.”

Festival Dates

The Moulid of Sayyid Ahmed al-Bedawi is held every October in Tanta, Egypt. Surrounded by the fervor of pilgrims, rituals, and celebration, experience the soul of Egypt’s greatest Sufi festival for yourself.