Far away from the city’s modernism that demolished the inherited Egyptian identity, citizens of Upper Egypt still hold on to their elders’ cultural rituals, which “El-Mermah” (Spearing) is one of. El-Mermah is the oldest fencing competition in the history of Egypt. On their horses, young men of Upper Egypt, especially in the region’s south, gather annually to showcase their abilities of fencing while riding on their horses, as well as exhibiting their abilities of dancing with their horses. Hundreds of young men train on a daily basis for this competition, of which the winner holds the social honour of...