A bawab or bewab ( Arabic: بواب bawwāb pronounced [bæwˈwæːb], literally "gatekeeper" [1]) is a kind of doorman common in Cairo, Egypt. [1] A bawab's job is to watch the entrance of the house or building where they work and perform errands and tasks for residents, essentially combining the function of a doorman with that of a building superintendent and errand boy. [1] The bawab has been described by the BBC as a security guard, porter, enforcer of social mores and general snoop, all rolled into one. [2]
Most buildings have four to six bawabs who work in shifts. [1] Bawabs are usually male and wear a gallabeya (a type of kaftan), a native Egyptian dress. [3] Traditionally, bawabs have been Nubians, an ethnic group from southern Egypt and northern Sudan. [1] Often they come from rural areas. [2] Many modern bawabs are local ex-military men, and some buildings have transitioned to using private security companies which provide uniformed guards. [1]
A bawab's salary is determined and paid by residents of the house or the residential building. Many bawabs augment their salary by taking tips from residents and prospective tenants. [1] A bawab might accept a tip from residents seeking privacy for a romantic rendezvous, or from couples looking to rent a unit. [1] Bawabs have been criticized for this system of taking tips or bribes to avoid the bawab gossiping to other residents about them. [2] [3] Women in particular have been subject to the threat of reputational damage, with one female visitor to a BBC reporter saying "I can't come up to your apartment with him there...he'll think I'm a whore!" [2]
Bawab characters are common in media featuring Cairo. [1] For example, Egyptian actor Ahmed Zaki portrayed a bawab in the 1987 film El-Beh El-Bawab (English: The Gentle Guard). [4]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Hedges, Chris (1995-02-14). "Cairo Journal; Beware the Bawabs, the Know-It-Alls at the Gate". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-02-03.
- ^ a b c d Dinham, Tom (2012-10-28). "The doormen policing Egypt's morals". BBC News. Retrieved 2017-06-08.
- ^ a b Khedre, Farah (2016-12-21). "Egyptian Girl's Tale: The "Bawab" Symptom". Identity Magazine. Retrieved 2019-02-03.
- ^ "Zaki: A celebration of legendary actor and 'King of the Third Class'". EgyptToday. Retrieved 2019-02-03.
A bawab or bewab ( Arabic: بواب bawwāb pronounced [bæwˈwæːb], literally "gatekeeper" [1]) is a kind of doorman common in Cairo, Egypt. [1] A bawab's job is to watch the entrance of the house or building where they work and perform errands and tasks for residents, essentially combining the function of a doorman with that of a building superintendent and errand boy. [1] The bawab has been described by the BBC as a security guard, porter, enforcer of social mores and general snoop, all rolled into one. [2]
Most buildings have four to six bawabs who work in shifts. [1] Bawabs are usually male and wear a gallabeya (a type of kaftan), a native Egyptian dress. [3] Traditionally, bawabs have been Nubians, an ethnic group from southern Egypt and northern Sudan. [1] Often they come from rural areas. [2] Many modern bawabs are local ex-military men, and some buildings have transitioned to using private security companies which provide uniformed guards. [1]
A bawab's salary is determined and paid by residents of the house or the residential building. Many bawabs augment their salary by taking tips from residents and prospective tenants. [1] A bawab might accept a tip from residents seeking privacy for a romantic rendezvous, or from couples looking to rent a unit. [1] Bawabs have been criticized for this system of taking tips or bribes to avoid the bawab gossiping to other residents about them. [2] [3] Women in particular have been subject to the threat of reputational damage, with one female visitor to a BBC reporter saying "I can't come up to your apartment with him there...he'll think I'm a whore!" [2]
Bawab characters are common in media featuring Cairo. [1] For example, Egyptian actor Ahmed Zaki portrayed a bawab in the 1987 film El-Beh El-Bawab (English: The Gentle Guard). [4]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Hedges, Chris (1995-02-14). "Cairo Journal; Beware the Bawabs, the Know-It-Alls at the Gate". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-02-03.
- ^ a b c d Dinham, Tom (2012-10-28). "The doormen policing Egypt's morals". BBC News. Retrieved 2017-06-08.
- ^ a b Khedre, Farah (2016-12-21). "Egyptian Girl's Tale: The "Bawab" Symptom". Identity Magazine. Retrieved 2019-02-03.
- ^ "Zaki: A celebration of legendary actor and 'King of the Third Class'". EgyptToday. Retrieved 2019-02-03.