A bawab or bewab (Arabic: بوابbawwābpronounced[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]
^ abcdefghiHedges, 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.
^ abcdDinham, Tom (2012-10-28). "The doormen policing Egypt's morals". BBC News. Retrieved 2017-06-08.
A bawab or bewab (Arabic: بواب bawwāb pronounced [bæwˈwæːb], literally "gatekeeper") is a kind of doorman common in Cairo, Egypt. A bawab's job is to...
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property development, as well as hospitality. "Al Marjan Island Launch". Al Bawab. 15 February 2007. Retrieved 23 September 2014. "Article". The National...
of latching switch using GE PLS+ relay Latching relay Toggle switch El-Bawab, T.S. (2008). Optical Switching. Springer US. p. 248. ISBN 978-0-387-29159-8...
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bibliographic databases. The current editor-in-chief is Tarek S. El-Bawab. Tarek S. El-Bawab (Jackson State University), 2018-present Osman Gebizlioglu (Huawei...
the House Judiciary Committee on March 24, 2019" (PDF). Calia, Mike; El-Bawab, Nadine (April 17, 2019). "Attorney General William Barr will hold a press...
Government shutdowns in the United States Alexandra Hutzler and Nadine El-Bawab (30 Sep 2023) Government shutdown live updates: House passes 45-day stopgap...
March 2024. Retrieved 24 April 2024. Peller, Lauren; Hutzler, Alexandra; El-Bawab, Nadine (20 April 2024). "House approves $95 billion in aid to Ukraine,...
Archived from the original on March 28, 2023. Retrieved March 29, 2023. El-Bawab, Nadine (April 6, 2023). "Nashville mayor calls on lawmakers to enact risk...
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