(26 Oct 2015) LEAD IN:
Sufi groups in Egypt have been commemorating the birth of Ahmad al-Badawi, the founder of the Badawiyyah Sufi order.
A week of mass festivites, concluding last Friday, were held in Tanta, the home of al-Badawi's tomb.
STORY-LINE:
Sung litanies and drums provide the soundtrack for the huge crowd outside the Ahmad Al-Badawi Mosque in Tanta, around 100 kilometres (62 miles) north of Cairo.
Hundreds of followers of the Badawiyyah Sufi order are gathered to celebrate one of their most important religious festivals.
Ceremonies are held over a week-long period every October to celebrate the birth Ahmad Al-Badawi, the founder of Badawiyyah Sufism.
Outside al-Badawi's tomb, the fervent crowd sway and bow in time to the music.
Inside, groups of people gather around the tomb, touching the structure around it, getting as close as they can to pray.
Al-Badawi was born in Fes, Morocco in the 12th century AD, and is believed by his followers to have performed miracles.
Sufism is an aspect of Islam that is considered to be deeply mystical.
Sufi orders exist within Sunni, Shia and other Islamic groups.
There are dozens of different Sufi orders in Egypt alone.
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