Ahmad Shawqi

Ahmad Shawqi was a prominent Egyptian poet and playwright who pioneered the modern Arabic literary movement. He was influenced by French literature and classical Arabic poetry, and he introduced the genre of poetic epics to Arabic literature. He wrote poems in various forms and themes, such as love, patriotism, religion, and history. He also wrote several plays that dealt with historical and social issues, such as Majnun Layla, Antara, and The Death of Cleopatra. He was known as the Prince of Poets for his mastery of the Arabic language and his contributions to the literary field. He was a member of a family attached to the khedivial court, and he served as a poet laureate for the khedive Abbas II. He was exiled to Spain by the British in 1914, and he returned to Egypt in 1920. He died of a heart attack in 1932, and his house in Giza became a museum dedicated to his life and works.