The statue of the acclaimed singer and actress of Egypt's 1930s and 1940s was created by Mahmoud Mokhtar (1891-1934), a pioneer of the Egyptian modern art movement.
The bust was unveiled during a special ceremony led by Minister of Culture Ahmed Henno, Cairo Opera House chairman Alaa Abdel-Salam, and other valued figures from Egypt's creative scene.
The little-known statue is a gift from the Farid Al-Atrash Lovers Association, which was named after Asmahan's brother, Farid Al-Atrash. Al-Atrash was also a renowned actor, composer, singer, and oud player whose life-size statue has decorated the Opera grounds for many years.
Al-Atrash's statue was recently restored and unveiled during the same ceremony.
The same grounds are also home to other sculptures, including that of Um Kolthum.
Asmahan
Amal Al-Atrash, better known by her stage name Asmahan, was born on 25 November 1912.
Asmahan was an Arab Druze of Syrian origin but had lived in Egypt throughout her career.
Asmahan was known for her powerful, melodious voice and the way she evoked innovation and tarab, or a state of musical bliss.
She rose to unprecedented fame, challenging the negative social perceptions of female performers.
In the book Asmahan's Secrets: Woman, War, and Song, Sherifa Zuhur describes Asmahan as one of the century's seven great singers who acquired a rare gift of both Western and Eastern aspects of musicality.
Asmahan’s thriving career ended suddenly as she passed away in 1944 at 31.
Although she died in a car wreck, the circumstances of her death were unclear, prompting the Egyptian press to speculate about the singer's alleged espionage for the allied forces.
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