“It has been a joyous festival of the Egyptians in ancient as in modern times.”
– al-Maqrizi
But this is an article about medieval Egypt, which brings up the first question: why was celebrated in Egypt in the first place? Much of our knowledge about this festival comes from the works of Taqī al-Dīn Ahmad ibn ‘Alī ibn al-Maqrīzī (1364–1442), who was a government official and historian who took a keen interest in Egypt's past. In his book Book of Exhortations and Useful Lessons in Dealing with Topography and Historical Remains, al-Maqrizi offers an account of Nawruz in Egypt. The celebration was known by the slightly different name of Nawruz (an-Nawruz al-qibti).
Origin stories
The writer records several stories of how this festival emerged. One version mentions that it was started by a powerful Persian king after
