Egypt in the 1960s: The Golden Age
BY: Kristina Perry/Contributing Writer
Egypt has long been a center of innovative culture, art and political discussion. The 1960s brought an era of art, fashion and innovation all over the world, but no country added to the cultural and technological renaissance of the sixties like Egypt.
In the sixties, Egypt began its domination of Arab cinema, creating a blend of silver screen glamour for the centuries old culture.
International fame came to Egyptian actors of the era, such as Omar Sharif and his wife Faten Hamama. Egyptian cinema produced acclaimed films, such as Cairo Station (1958), A Beginning and an End(1960), and Chased by Dogs (1962). Studio Misr was founded in the late 1930s and launched the careers of many prominent Egyptian actors that went on to international acclaim.
While many other nations saw very little diversity in the genres and themes of their films, Egyptian cinema regularly produced films in a wide range of genres. The sixties saw the rise of thriller films in Egypt, and rivaled America’s Alfred Hitchcock in the use of psychological effects to convey a story.
Throughout the fifties and sixties, Cairo was the destination of choice for international travel, boasting a unique mix of the ancient and modern. Egypt had all the trappings of a cosmopolitan society, and flourished under the post-war economic boom. Tourists could enjoy a booming cafe society, sipping Turkish coffee and watching belly dancers, then go to the beach in a bikini.
Egypt is recognized as the birthplace of belly dance, and this exotic dancing became internationally recognized as an art form in the sixties. Incorporated into films and Western media, the growing belly dance craze prompted the worldwide sale of belly dancing outfits. The export of Arab, specifically Egyptian, culture drastically increased the world’s interest in the region, both as a center of culture, as well as technology and modernity.
Belly dance found its way into Western movies and became part of the sixties exoticism movement in America, with students and studios devoted to the dance practice popping up all over the nation. In Egypt and the Arab world, renewed interest in the dance form created a feeling of deeper connection to customs, and instilled a sense of national and cultural pride.
Egyptian society in the fifties and sixties was also the catalyst for Pan-Arabism under President Nasser, as well. Ideologically, Nasserism and Pan-Arabism served to unite the Arab world under the umbrella of shared culture, history, and an eagerness to establish the region as independent players from the Soviet-American Cold War.
Egypt became a center for business opportunities and democracy previously unseen in the Arab world. With one of the fastest growing economies in the world following World War II, and the most popular leader in the entire Arab world at the time, Egypt was the destination of choice for many foreign investors and political discussion.
Egypt still dominates media and cinema decades later, and annually holds the Cairo International Film Festival, which is recognized internationally as being in the top ten of film festivals. Egypt’s entertainment industry is so influential that the majority of the Arabic speakers understand the Egyptian dialect and culture as if it could be their own.
Today, the African country still stands as the highest cultural exporter of the Arab world, producing roughly a quarter of all digital media consumed in the region.
Politically, the country remains in the spotlight as the center of democratic instigation and protest, often garnering international attention for the dedication of its public to democratic and ideals. Its cosmopolitan population shows no sign of stagnation in the rise to becoming a world leader, both politically and culturally.