Mosque of El-Sayyid El-Badawi & its Moulid

Coming in second place to the size of pilgrimages after Mecca, is the massive festival that takes place in the heart of the Nile Delta, the Moulid of Al-Sayyid al-Badawi in Tanta. In the past the festival was so grand it long overshadowed the pilgrimage to Mecca! It honors a Moroccan Sufi who fought the Crusaders in the 13th century, he was also a descendent of Imam Husain ibn Ali. Some two million pilgrims arrive from across the Arab and African world to pay their respects at the main mosque, which holds his tomb. The mosque is beautifully designed and massive in its scale, during the festival in October the lantern-adorned streets are filled with people dancing and chanting, snake charmers performing, and an array of special sweets being served.