It was like a perfect cinematic moment that Saturday afternoon. Just two days before the 50th anniversary of Umm Kulthum’s passing, you step out of her small yet rich museum in Cairo, still enveloped in the aura of her larger-than-life presence.
Outside, by the Nile, an old yet elegant man sits alone, detached from the world around him. From the small speakers of his mobile phone drifts the voice of Umm Kulthum, chanting "Lailat Hob"—her last recorded love song. He gazes into the river, lost in a trance, as though the currents carry the echoes of his own memories, entwined with the Lady’s immortal voice.
It was a perfect Egyptian scene. I wanted to capture it, to ask him what Umm Kulthum meant to him. But I did not dare, unwilling to be the one to pull him back to reality.
That scene summarizes a lot about Umm Kulthum and Egyptians if not Arabs.
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| Umm Kulthum's statue outside her museum in Al-Manial island |
On Monday Egypt remembered that 50 years ago it woke up to find its “Planet of East” Umm Kulthum passed away after having
Umm Kulthum died on the same day the music died in the US. She died but her legacy and art still stand as the true fourth pyramid in Egypt.
According to historians and those who witnessed the day, her funeral was a popular one to the level that people compared to the funeral of the second president of Egypt and her lifelong fan Gamal Abdel Nasser.
Yes, Umm Kulthum Ibrahim, the singer who came from rural Nile Delta’s Tamay e-Zahayra village had the biggest public funeral of a woman in Egypt in the modern age if not in the nation’s long recorded history.
I can’t speak about Umm Kulthum or Thuma or the Dame “as we nickname her in Egypt for decades” easily thus I would focus on her museum.
Umm Kulthum Museum is located inside the Nilometer-Manasterly Palace site on Manial Al-Roda Island in Cairo.
The whole site is beautiful at the far end of the island overlooking the River Nile. It is a true gateway to escape the buzzing great Cairo’s madness.
Beside the small Umm Kulthum Museum, there is the 8th-century Nilometer which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the beautiful Manasterly Palace which has been under renovation works for ages now.
Inside the tiny museum of Umm Kulthum—a space far too small for a voice and legacy that once rivalled the Egyptian state itself.
I apologize for the bad quality of the photos because they were taken by iPhone 7 Plus and DJI Pocket 2 “which is not the best standstill camera”. I also took the photos in 2023 and 2025.
For a reason beyond my knowledge, the administration of the museum does not allow DSLR photography even without flash.
Once you step inside the small museum, you will be greeted by two iconic items forever associated with Thuma: her scarf and signature black sunglasses.
Umm Kulthum always performed in concert with a scarf in hand.
The reasons behind this habit have been the subject of various speculations in Egypt.
According to Dr Hani Al-Washahi, a close friend of the late artist, the excessive sweating of her palms, caused by a thyroid condition, led Umm Kulthum to hold a scarf to dry her hands during performances.
Over time, this practice became an iconic part of her persona.
On the other hand, in an interview with the late broadcaster Wagdy Al-Hakim, Umm Kulthum herself explained that the reason she held a scarf during her concerts was due to her fear of facing the audience, which she deeply respected. She revealed, "My fear of the audience, as I give it a thousand considerations, is the reason I always appeared with a scarf."
You must know that for each Thuma’s iconic dress, there was a special scarf that fit the model and colour of the dress.
Thuma’s long struggle with thyroid problems, specifically Graves' disease, caused her to suffer from hyperthyroidism, which likely contributed to her eye issues, such as bulging or protruding eyes.
This condition also explains her remarkable level of activity—Graves' disease often causes a surge in energy and can make individuals unusually active.
As a result, Umm Kulthum wore black sunglasses as soon as she left the stage to conceal her eye condition and protect her eyes from discomfort.
This medical condition not only affected her appearance but also contributed to her tireless energy, helping her maintain such a demanding performance schedule.
Doctors in Egypt told her that she had to remove the thyroid, but she was scared and rejected the idea because it may affect her vocal cords, and she may not sing again.
Thus came her acceptance of being hyperactive and wearing black sunglasses which became another Thuma signature.
These are the most famous Thuma’s sunglasses.
Thuma got several sunglasses and eyeglasses in the Museum.
In 1953, Umm Kulthum travelled to the United States for medical treatment at the U.S. Naval Hospital in Bethesda, Maryland.
She was diagnosed with a significant throat growth that threatened her singing career. After undergoing treatment, she made a full recovery and returned to performing within two months.
During her stay in the U.S., she was the first non-military foreign dignitary to be admitted to the hospital. This visit was widely reported in the Egyptian press, highlighting her status as a national icon.
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| One of the rarest collections of coloured photos of Umm Kulthum was found in the US when a group of Arab Americans hosted her an evening in one of their houses in Maryland |
Thuma praised both the US government and the public for the reception. She liked Washington D.C. more than New York despite the Big Apple being bigger.
"I believe that Washington is the greatest city in the world in terms of coordination and sophistication, even though New York is much larger. I toured Washington and its surroundings and saw amazing things. Americans are a charming people, hardworking in their professions." She told Al-Kawkab Magazine upon her return from the US.
Then comes the dresses of Thuma which I failed miserably to photograph due to the bad lighting and the no-DSLR rule.
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| Umm Kulthum dresses at her museum in Cairo |
These are the true dresses of Umm Kulthum and not a reproduction
The dresses are the main attraction in the small museum as Egyptians try to guess which dress she appeared in which song and concert.
This post was delayed because I kept searching for every dress. I was lucky enough.
There weren’t many dresses in the museum, and most of them were from the 1960s and 1970s.
I’ll begin with her most famous dresses of all time—the ones she wore during her legendary Olympia concerts in 1968.
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| Umm Kulthum wore that green dress on 13 November 1967 at her Olympia theatre concert in Paris |
Umm Kulthum donned these gowns during her historic performances in Paris, part of a world tour dedicated to supporting Egypt’s war effort. While she had been actively contributing to Egypt’s wartime causes since 1948, her efforts following the Six-Day War of 1967 were truly extraordinary.
According to researcher Karim Gamal’s 2022-best-selling-book “Umm Kulthum and the Years of the War Efforts”, two weeks after the defeat on June 20, Umm Kulthum secretly donated £20,000—the fee she had received from Kuwait's state radio for broadcasting her songs. No one knew about this donation until a Ministry of Finance employee leaked the news to the Al-Akhbar newspaper.
Then entered the benefit concerts for the war effort, the first was held in the Egyptian city of Damanhour, raising LE 76,000
Over the next five years, her concerts continued across Egypt and abroad. For that, the Egyptian state issued a special diplomatic passport for Umm Kulthum. It was the first and last time it had ever happened.
The most renowned were in Paris, where she became the first Egyptian and Arab singer to perform on the famous Olympia stage.
The Olympia Theatre administration originally contacted her in 1966 to schedule concerts for 1967. However, the Six-Day War broke and Thuma decided that those two concerts would be the start of her global tour to support Egypt's war efforts.
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| Umm Kulthum and the ad of her concerts in Paris in November 1967 |
The rest is history.
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| The Olympia on 13 November 1967 |
Thuma’s first concert on Olympia’s stage was on November 13, 1967, and it was the talk of Paris and the Arab world. I can write a full blog post about that concert alone. She wore this green dress to that concert.
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| The green Olympia 13 November 1967 concert dress |
Here is an archive photo from the AFP. “There are hundreds of photos from that concert”
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| Thuma standing on the Olympia in her green dress but in black and white on 13 November 1967 |
Also, here is a very unclear video of Thuma singing “Baeed Anak” or “Away from You” with an English translation from that concert.
On the official front-row seats were filled with prominent figures, including the late King Hussein of Jordan, who happened to be in Paris at the time, along with 13 ambassadors.
King Hussein had already honoured Umm Kulthum in Jordan, awarding her the Supreme Order of the Renaissance, the second-highest order of merit in the Hashemite Kingdom, on February 23, 1955.
The honour was presented during an unforgettable concert, where she thanked the King and stated that the greatest honour would be the unity of Arab nations against colonialism.
Both the Order and its official letter are displayed in the museum.
Fast forward to November 13,1968, King Hussein was in his front seat when a young man stormed the stage to kiss Umm Kulthum’s hand.
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| The young man who stormed the stage to kiss her hand on 13 November 1968 in Paris |
The second concert was on November 15,1968 and she wore that purple dress.
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| Umm Kulthum wore this purple dress at her second Olympia concert in Paris on 15 November 1968 |
Here is a video of Thuma aka the Dame singing renowned Egyptian Poet Ibrahim Nagy’s Al-Attal or “The Ruins” in Paris with the same dress.
The ticket prices at the Olympia Theatre typically ranged between 30 to 50 francs. However, for Umm Kulthum’s performance, they soared to 300 francs.
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| Thuma in her purple dress on the stage of the Olympia theatre in Paris on 15 November 1968 |
When tickets were sold out, the theatre issued what it called "standing tickets", which did not provide seats and were priced at 500 francs for the first time.
Wealthy Arabs came from the Gulf on special trips to attend the concert.
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| Another close-up shot of Thuma during her Paris concert on 15 November 1968 |
During that concert, another young man stormed the stage in an attempt to kiss her feet.
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| The fan trying to kiss Thuma's feet on the stage of the Olympia on 15 November 1968 |
That young man made her fall for the first time on the stage.
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| Thuma was not that happy when she fell down |
To this day, Egyptians continue to share videos of her Paris concerts, along with her unforgettable interview on Egyptian State TV. In the interview, the charming host Salwa Hegazy asked Umm Kulthum what she liked to visit the most in Paris as she visited it frequently. With immense pride, she replied: "The Obelisk."
If you understand Arabic or French, you must watch the full report by the late Salwa Hegazy.
If you're a fan of classic French cinema, you’ll definitely recognize the French film star who attended the concert and was interviewed by Salwa Hegazy.
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| Marie Laforêt was interviewed by Salwar Hegazy |
Umm Kulthum appeared in this orange dress on 30 December 1968 in her concert in Sudan’s Khartoum. “Sorry for bad photography for real”
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| Umm Kulthum's dress in Khartoum's concert on 30 December 1968 |
Thuma sang “Fat el Mi'ad” or “The time has passed” in that concert.
While on stage on December 30, Thuma was surprised to learn that Sudanese Radio had decided to celebrate her birthday in advance, even though it was actually on December 31 officially. |
| Thuma in her orange dress in Khartoum on 30 December 1968 |
There are conflicting sources regarding her birth date. According to historians, she was born on December 31, 1898, while official records list her birth date as May 4, 1908.
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| A Couple of coloured photos showing Umm Kulthum in the orange dress during the Khartoum concert on 30 December 1968 |
In front of thousands of cheering Sudanese fans, a group of Sudanese women presented her with a traditional Sudanese thobe.
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| Umm Kulthum on the stage in Khartoum on 30 December 1968 |
Thus, the iconic image of Thuma in a Sudanese thobe on stage was born.
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| Thuma in the Sudanese Thube in Khartoum on 30 December 1968 |
To the bubbly pearl dress of Umm Kulthum.
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| Umm Kulthum wore that white dress at her Baalbek International Festival concert in Lebanon in 1970 |
Umm Kulthum wore that dress in her last concert in Lebanon in July 1970 as part of the war efforts tour.
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| The original poster of Umm Kulthum's concert on 8 July 1970 |
Thuma, the Egyptian queen, stood tall and majestic in the shadow of Baalbek’s Temple of Bacchus on July 8, 1970, inaugurating the Baalbek International Festival.
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| Umm Kulthum in her white pearly dress in Baalbek on 8 July 1970 |
The festival committee sought a way to increase revenue despite tickets selling out two weeks before the concert, to boost donations for the war effort.
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| Umm Kulthum wore that white dress at her Baalbek International Festival concert in Lebanon in 1970 |
They decided to mint gold medals bearing Umm Kulthum’s image, each sold for 25 Lebanese lira and made them available at the box office on the opening night.
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| The special Umm Kulthum's medal from Lebanon |
This is the medal of the famous Baalbek concert. The info on the label is completely wrong.
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| Umm Kulthum, standing as an Egyptian queen in her concert in the shadow of the temple of Baachus 's columns |
As soon as sales began, the medals sold out within an hour, with over 10,000 medals purchased, increasing that night's revenue by 250,000 Lebanese Lira in addition to the original concert proceeds. The concert was packed with 5,000 attendees.
That would be her last concert in Lebanon after a long relationship with the Levantine country.
Lebanon’s Beirut was the first foreign and Arab capital to host the young Miss Umm Kulthum Ibrahim in September 1931.
Thuma held concerts in Lebanon in 1931, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1962, 1964, and 1965 before making her debut at the Baalbek International Festival. The Planet of the East graced the Roman steps three times—first in the summer of 1966, followed by another performance in 1968, and her final appearance in 1970.
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| Umm Kulthum in Baalbek on 8 July 1970 |
No wonder, Umm Kulthum had many honours from Lebanon in her museum
Thuma was going to perform in Moscow where she had a huge reception in September 1970 but then President Gamal Abdel-Nasser passed away and she had to return to Egypt along with her band.
During this period, she held concerts in seven Arab nations: Morocco, Kuwait, Sudan, Tunisia, Lebanon, the UAE, and Libya.
The total proceeds amounted to around 3 million Egyptian pounds, in addition to half a million in foreign currency, along with gold jewellery and other valuables
This led the late President Mohamed Anwar Sadat and his wife, the late First Lady Jihan Sadat, to issue special letters in 1973, following the October War victory, thanking her and calling her "The Artist of the People."
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| The Sadats thanked Umm Kulthum for what she had done for the war efforts |
Thuma is also the most honour-decorated Egyptian/Arab/Muslim woman in modern history.
On 17 September 1944, Umm Kulthum made true history as an Egyptian woman from a humble rural peasant background when King Farouk honoured her with the famous Order of Virtues "They called the Order of Perfection but it is Virtues" from the third degree.
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| Umm Kulthum was the first woman from a humble peasant background to receive the Order of Virtues from King Farouk in 1944 |
The event took place at a huge gala party at Al-Ahly Club. She was singing and in the middle of the party, King Farouk made a surprise appearance and honoured her.
Here is a rare recording of the event.
She was the first woman outside the wealthy class or the Mohamed Ali family to receive such an honour.
This reportedly angered some women of the Mohamed Ali royal family, who were displeased to see a singer from a humble background granted the same distinction. The daughter of a rural Imam who used to sing religious songs in Moulids made it.
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| The famous Umm Kulthum wearing the Order of the Virtues in 1944 |
At the time, rumours circulated that Sherif Pasha Sabry, King Farouk’s uncle, was in love with her.
In 1960, President Gamal Abdel Nasser granted Umm Kulthum the Order of Merit.
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| Umm Kulthum's Order of Merit |
From a singer who once praised His Majesty King Farouk to a fervent supporter of Nasser—who was a devoted fan and regularly attended her famous Thursday concerts—Umm Kulthum masterfully navigated the shifting political landscape.
She not only avoided cancellation in the republic era but also became one of Egypt’s most powerful cultural ambassadors in the Gulf.
On 18 December 1965, President Gamal Abdel Nasser honoured her with the Order of Republic, Egypt’s second highest Order after the Nile Order.
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| Nasser's declaration of granting Umm Kulthum the Order of the Republic on 25 Shaaban 1385 AH "18 December 1965" |
The Order of the Republic is the second-highest Egyptian honour after the Order of the Nile which Thuma also received earlier in August of the same year, 1965 during the celebration of Egypt's Science Day.
Back in fashion history, I couldn’t find a photo of Thuma wearing this glamorous dress at a concert.
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| Umm Kulhtum's Pakistani dress at her museum |
It was originally gifted to her by the Pakistani Embassy in Cairo after she performed Hadith Al-Rouh, a poem by the renowned Pakistani poet Sir Muhammad Iqbal translated into Arabic in 1967.
Yes, the Planet of the East sang for the Poet of the East. I can’t find also a photo of Thuma wearing this dress.
Pakistan also honoured Umm Kulthum in 1968 and awarded her the Sitara-i-Imtiaz or the Star of Excellence at the Pakistani Embassy in Cairo.
In the newsreel, you can see the famous Egyptian poet Ahmed Ramy, a man who contributed to Thuma’s legend with poems that turned into incomparable lyrics.
Ramy, a long fan is said to be her biggest lover doomed to be in the friend zone because Thuma was said to believe if she loved him back, he would be satisfied and not be able to write any love poems anymore.
In the newsreel, you can spot the renowned Egyptian poet Ahmed Rami, a man whose poetry helped cement Umm Kulthum’s legend, turning his verses into timeless lyrics.
A devoted admirer, Rami is often said to have been her greatest love—yet forever trapped in the friend zone. It is believed that Umm Kulthum refrained from reciprocating his feelings, fearing that if he were truly satisfied in love, he would lose the ability to write his heartfelt poetry.
He was Egypt’s most tormented poet.
I can’t find a photo of Thuma wearing this dress too
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| Failed to find any photo of her wearing that dress |
It is a riddle for me now.
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| If anyone can help me find it, I would be very thankful |
Umm Kulthum’s iconic fashion was crafted by her personal designer, Madame Vasso, an Armenian-born designer who lived in Egypt. She was responsible for creating the legendary singer’s gowns for concerts and evening events.
In her first interview after Umm Kulthum’s passing, Madame Vasso revealed the meticulous process behind the dresses that captivated audiences.
According to Vasso, Umm Kulthum personally selected both the colour and fabric of her gowns based on the theme and lyrics of each song.
She also insisted on designing the dresses herself, relying on her own refined taste rather than drawing inspiration from fashion magazines.
I could not find a photo of her wearing this dress.
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| Another enigmatic dress |
But I found some similar dresses to it. Yet, not the exact model.
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| It is a bit bold I have to say |
For her everyday attire, Umm Kulthum entrusted her tailoring to Madame André, a well-known seamstress in Cairo. I wish they included the everyday attire.
When the Museum was inaugurated in 2002, some photos included everyday attire besides
Those fashion designers were not the only ones Thuma dealt with because she had been an old client of Egypt’s Coco Chanel, the underrated Saliha Aflaton.
I’m sure you’ve noticed that contrary to how she appears in old videos and photos, Umm Kulthum was actually a petite woman.
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| Umm Kulthum's shoes and bags |
The museum hosts some of her bags and shoes.
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| The second pair, the silver ones are actually Dior |
The second pair of shoes, the silver shiny shoes with a bow tie is actually a Dior.
Umm Kulthum turned out to be a client of Dior. I found out that she wore Dior dresses but did not know if they were everyday Dior or special custom Dior for concerts.
Thuma also wore Italian shoes, including special custom-made Italian shoes.
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| Umm Kulthum's Creazioni Ricciardo Roma shoes at her museum |
That silver pair was made by "Creazioni Ricciardo Roma", which was an Italian shoe brand based in Rome, active during the 1960s. The brand specialized in creating high-quality, handcrafted women's shoes, often featuring intricate embroidery and rhinestone embellishments.
Now to the not best if not the worst photo for yet interesting Thuma trademark, the famous crescent diamond brooch.
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| Umm Kulthum's diamond brooch, wooden oud and Ramsis theatre concert ad |
The famous crescent-shaped brooch of Umm Kulthum was a precious gift from Sheikha Munira, wife of Sheikh Duaij Al-Salman Al-Sabah of Kuwait during her first visit to Kuwait in 1963. Sheikha Munira was actually the daughter of Kuwait's wealthist man and most famous pearls merchant as far as I read , whose name was Sheikh Helal Al-Mutairi.
The crescent brooch was actually the symbol of his family , Helal means crescent in Arabic.
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| Sheikha Munira with Thuma fishing in the Gulf in April in 1968 during the Dame's visit to Kuwait |
Thuma was a friend of Sheikha Munira as well as members of Al-Sabah ruling family.
Adorned with 356 diamonds, Umm Kulthum cherished it deeply, often wearing it during her performances, believing it completed her image as a “planet” with the brooch as her “crescent moon,” allowing her to soar through the heavens as she sang.
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| Thuma wearing the crescent |
The most famous appearance of that brooch was when she wore it while singing her masterpiece “Inta Omri” or “You are your my life” in that televised unforgettable concert in Cairo in 1965.
Years after her passing, a relative of hers (who wished to remain anonymous) donated the diamond-studded brooch to the Mustafa and Ali Amin Charity Foundation under the Akhbar Al-Youm Press institution, contributing its value to help pay off Egypt’s debts. “Yup, there was a campaign during the Mubarak era”. Umm Kulthum was already a very close friend of famous Egyptian journalist Mustafa Amin.
The brooch remained in the foundation’s treasury for years due to its immense historical significance and was never sold.
Following the passing of Mustafa Amin and during the Umm Kulthum Museum's inauguration in 2002, Akhbar Al-Youm the brooch to Egypt’s First Lady then Suzanne Mubarak, ensured its display among the diva’s treasured belongings.
It is the only piece from her remarkable jewelry collection displayed in the museum, as her family retains the rest. A few of her jewelry pieces have been auctioned, above them an exquisite 19th-century natural pearl Indian necklace, gifted to her by Sheikh Zayed Al Nahyan of the UAE in 1971 when she visited Abu Dhabi for her war effort tour.
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| Umm Kulthum wearing the necklace |
The necklace was sold for $1.39 million in April 2008 at Christie's in Dubai. The new owner is from the Middle East, likely one of the ruling families in the Gulf—if not the Al Nahyans themselves—since the necklace frequently appears in special exhibitions dedicated to Umm Kulthum in the region. "Her watch and a brooch—the latter gifted to her by Shah Reza Pahlavi in 1938 for performing at his wedding in Cairo when he married Princess Fawzia Fouad—were sold in the same auction, though for a lower price than the necklace."
Besides the brooch, we got the special wooden oud of Umm Kulthum.
Umm Kulthum’s oud was designed and handmade by a Syrian craftsman called Kanaan Al-Halabi. I do not know the exact date, but that oud bears a hawk, the famous Hawk of Quraish. It was the symbol and coat of arms of Syria and Egypt in the 1970s.
The Hawk of Quraish is back to be the emblem of the Syrian transitional government. Thuma’s first concerts in Syria were on her first Levant tour in 1931. Ironically during her first concert in Damascus, radicals made a big fuss because she was a woman singing in public.
And in the far end, the first-ever ad of Miss Umm Kultum Ibrahim’s first concert in Cairo at Ramsis Theatre in Downtown Cairo.
Another section is dedicated to Thuma's impressive collection of radios and turntables, as well as her own Sony TC-730 three-motor servo control tape recorder.
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| The Sony TC-730 three-motor servo control tape recorder |
I believe she purchased it in either 1972 or 1973, before experiencing health problems. At the time, it was a state-of-the-art device for musicians.
Thuma had a small studio in the basement of her villa in Zamalek. Unfortunately, her family—comprising her nieces and nephews, as she had no children from her only known official marriage to the renowned dermatologist Dr. Hassan El-Hefnawy—eventually sold her famous villa in the upscale Zamalek district, overlooking the Nile.
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| Umm Kulthum's artdeco streamline villa in Zamalek was designed by famous Egyptian architect Ali Labib |
The villa, a landmark in its own right, was demolished by the new owner, who replaced it with an unremarkable concrete building. It was only after the success of a biographical TV series in the early 2000s that both her family and the Egyptian public expressed regret that the villa had not been preserved as a museum.
Following the series’ success—which, in fact, introduced her artistry to my generation—the owner of the new building on her villa’s site converted part of it into a hotel bearing her name. It became the "Umm Kulthum Tower," standing today not only as a landmark but also as a lasting reminder of what shortsighted greed can destroy.
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| Umm Kulthum's Tower and Hotel in Zamalek Island , Cairo |
That’s are the best photos I could snap at the museum I am afraid at the current time. I hope that you all watch the video because there is more stuff with high quality.
When I started this post, I thought I would keep it brief. But we are speaking about a woman who used to sing a one-hour song and people did not get bored of her.
It took me nearly a month and this is for real a small museum. Thuma was indeed a planet of the East that can pull anyone by her orbit.
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| Umm Kulthum's statue in front of where her villa was once standing in Cairo's Zamalek |
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