Tahia Carioca

Tahia Carioca

Egyptian Belly Dancer and Actress

📌 Personal Information

Real Name: Badawiya Tahia Mohamed Ali el-Nidani Karim

📅 Date of Birth: February 19, 1915 – Ismailia, Egypt

☠️ Date of Death: September 20, 1999 (84 years) – Cairo, Egypt

🩺 Cause of Death: Pulmonary embolism

🌍 Nationality: Egyptian

☪️ Religion: Islam

💍 Spouses:

Rushdy Abaza

Ahmed Salem

Moharram Fouad

And others (17 marriages)

👨‍👩‍👧 Relatives: Actress Ragaa Al-Gedawy (niece)

🎭 Profession: Actress, dancer, singer

🗣️ Languages: Arabic

📆 Years Active: 1935 – 1998

📖 Biography

Born in Ismailia, she had a tough childhood after losing her father at the age of four.

She suffered from abuse by her brother, which led her to escape to Cairo.

Started her career as a dancer in Badia Masabni’s troupe in 1935, gaining fame with her Carioca dance style.

Later, she transitioned to cinema and theater with support from Suleiman Naguib.

🎬 Notable Works

🎞️ Famous Movies

💃 Watch Out for Zouzou (1972)

📽️ El Karnak (1975)

🎭 Mother of the Bride (1963)

🌊 Love Beach (1961)

🏰 Oh Islam (1961)

🕵️‍♂️ The Water Carrier is Dead (1976)

🔮 The Talisman (1987)

🚗 Mercedes (1993)

🎭 Theater Plays

🛒 Robabikia

✊ Long Live Al-Wafd

⚖️ Political Activism

She was politically active and supported Anwar Sadat while he was in hiding from the British.

She was arrested multiple times for helping the Free Officers Movement in overthrowing the monarchy.

She had close ties with many political figures.

💔 Personal Life

A record-breaking number of marriages! She married 17 times, including:

Antoine Issa (1939) – Nephew of Badia Masabni

Rushdy Abaza – Divorced him after he cheated on her with a French woman

Moharram Fouad – Brief marriage

Fayez Halawa – Her longest marriage (18 years), ended in major disputes

She adopted a girl named Atiyat Allah in her seventies and entrusted a friend to take care of her after her passing.

🕊️ Death

Tahia Carioca passed away on September 20, 1999, at the age of 84, due to a pulmonary embolism after returning from Umrah (Islamic pilgrimage).

She remains a legend in belly dancing history, founding a school based on traditional Egyptian dance, in contrast to Samia Gamal, who blended Eastern and Western styles.

🏆 Legacy

Considered one of the greatest belly dancers of all time, developing a unique style that still influences dancers today.

Some called her "the last great belly dancer in history".

She left a strong mark on Egyptian cinema, playing diverse roles in both comedy and drama.

📌 Tahia Carioca – More than just a dancer, she was an iconic figure in Egypt’s artistic and cultural history!