Egyptian artist paints murals on houses to celebrate haj

SUMMARY

Eid Al Salwaawi, 69,paintsmuralsof the rituals of thehajpilgrimage on the walls of a house in Cairo's Sayeda Zainab neighbourhood. Sometimes he volunteers to paint scenes thatcelebratethehajand religious stories and lessons, other times he is paid.Every year, Muslims travel from around the world to the city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia to complete thehaj, one of the five pillars of their faith. This year'shajwill conclude on Sunday.Salwaawi said thehajscenes he saw on the walls ofhousesin his home village as a child in northern Aswan captured his imagination."So I draw camel caravans and soldiers wearing traditional hats guarding them," he said. He uses simple tools like a handmade palm frond brush and a mixture of paint, vinegar, rosewater, gum Arabic and glue.

By ReutersAug 8, 2019 11:36:16 AM IST (Updated)

The artist Eid Al Salwaawi paints murals about the holy Kaaba and the rituals of the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, in Cairo, Egypt. REUTERS/Hayam Adel

Sometimes he volunteers to paint scenes that celebrate the haj and religious stories and lessons, other times he is paid. REUTERS/Hayam Adel

Salwaawi said the haj scenes he saw on the walls of houses in his home village as a child in northern Aswan captured his imagination. REUTERS/Hayam Adel

He uses simple tools like a handmade palm frond brush and a mixture of paint, vinegar, rosewater, gum Arabic and glue. Each mural takes him between two and three hours. REUTERS/Hayam Adel

A group of people perform spiritual recitations as they celebrate the departure of a neighbour who is going to do Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca. REUTERS/Hayam Adel

Men and women sit in front of murals painted by the artist Eid Al Salwaawi. REUTERS/Hayam Adel

A group of people perform spiritual recitations as they celebrate the departure of a neighbour who is going to do Hajj pilgrimage. REUTERS/Hayam Adel