"Egypt Sings" captures the atmosphere of Abu al-Hasan al-Shadhili's birthday in Hamithra.

In the heart of the Marsa Alam desert, specifically at Mount Hamithra, where thousands of devotees and lovers from across Egypt flock, the fifth episode of the second season of the program "Egypt Sings," broadcast on the Egyptian Channel One, captured the atmosphere and rituals of the celebration of the birth of Sufi leader Sidi Abu al-Hasan al-Shadhili.

From the start of the journey, host Ahmed Atallah posed a question that had been on his mind: "What drives people to travel more than a thousand kilometers on a sweltering day, without hotels or rest, to reach this place in the middle of the desert?"

Ahmed Atallah's statements to "Speciali" Media personality Ahmed Atallah, host of the program "Egypt Sings" on Channel One, revealed unexpected situations he and his crew encountered during their trip to film a special episode of the Sufi Mawlid of Sidi Abi al-Hasan al-Shadhili in Hamithra, Marsa Alam.

Atallah said, "We left Cairo in two microbuses. One was new and air-conditioned, with the director and cameramen, and its driver was Amir. The other was old and dilapidated, carrying the lighting equipment, and its driver was Shankhar, an unforgettable comedic character. All along the way, he kept stopping us for breaking a lantern, but despite the constant mockery, he turned out to be the real hero of the trip."

He added: "The irony happened when we first entered the desert track leading to Mount Hamithra. The new microbus driver got fed up and said to me: (Isn't it okay to just recite the Fatiha from here?). After that, the car stopped and refused to start, even though everything was fine. It was as if it had taken a stand! The temperature at the time was 52 degrees, so we had no choice but to leave it and all get in with Shankher, who had turned into a savior."

Atallah continued, "As soon as we arrived and started preparing for filming, the cameras overheated and refused to work. I told Ramzy to pray Dhuhr and Asr prayers until my colleagues could sort things out. We entered the mosque. I put my boot away, and he put his flip-flop aside. As we were leaving, we found the boot, but no sign of the flip-flop! I left Ramzy unable to stand from the heat of the ground, and I went around the town looking for new flip-flops. I came back to him after half an hour."

During the episode, Atallah hosted Hajj Ahmed Mahmoud, Hajja Zakiah's grandson and the person in charge of the celebration square, who narrated Hajja Zakiah's journey from Cairo, near the Imam Hussein Mosque, to Hamithra, near the mosque and shrine of Sidi Abu al-Hasan al-Shadhili.

"Egypt Sings" Program The program also met with a number of prominent singers who perform at Sufi nights there, including Montaser Al-Deshnawy in Hajja Zakia Square, Ragab Al-Dayrouti in Imam Ali Al-Sharif Square, and Ibrahim Al-Atwani in Sheikh Aqil Mazhar Square.

The "Egypt Sings" program, which aims to explore the artistic heritage and local music across Egypt's governorates, is produced by Ahmed Taha and Ahmed Abdel Jalil, filmed by Paula Essam and Raymond Ayoub, and directed by Mohamed El-Mehi.