The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities launched the Fawazeer (mysteries) digital tourism competition in the holy month of Ramadan to promote Egyptian tourism destinations and raise awareness of tourism and archaeology.
The purpose of the competition is to introduce people to various tourist and archaeological trivia. Assistant Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Lamia Kamel explained that the competition includes the publication of 15 riddles during the holy month.
The competition includes questions about the customs practiced during the holy month and how the Egyptians celebrate it in order to preserve these ancient customs of Ramadan and highlight the special atmosphere in the country during the month and attract tourists to participate in the holiday.
The prize for the three winners will be a week-long tourist trip during the summer months to resort towns such as Hurghada and Sahl Hasheesh.
Like the festive season in the West, Ramadan gives rise to its own forms of nostalgia for the joys of past Ramadan; one of them is Fawazeer Ramadan. Riddles are an old, beloved tradition that originated on Egyptian radio in the 1960s and then made its way to TV soon after.
Essentially, Fawazeer shows were short 10-minute episodes containing dance routines and skits that were the love pastiche of pre-satellite Egyptian popular culture.
At the heart of each episode of Fawazeer was a mystery that viewers were asked to solve, usually tied to a specific theme throughout the 30-episode season.