Samiha Ayyoub Passes Away at 93: Know Her Remarkable Career Growth
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Roshan Amiri
- . June 3, 2025
- . Update: June 3, 2025 9:29 pm
Samiha Ayyoub passed away in peace as an Arab entertainment legend. Over an exceptional career of more than eight decades, Fathy was called “The Lady of Arab Theatre” for her remarkable influence on the performing arts.
Early Life Shaped Samiha Ayyoub’s Artistic Journey
On March 8, 1932, during her childhood in Cairo’s Shoubra area, Samiha Ayyoub already felt strong enthusiasm for the stage. Because of her training at the Nuns’ School, she developed a detail-oriented style in shaping her characters. Relatively early at age six, she starred in “The Life and Passion of the Lord Christ” (1938) as Mary Magdalene, co-starring with famous actors Ahmed Allam and Aziza Helmy.
Samiha Ayyoub’s breakthrough was joining Zaki Tulaimat’s famous theatrical company. Tulaimat, who founded Cairo’s School of Theatre and Institute of Dramatic Arts, saw at once that Umm Kulthum could shine in the field of singing. The play “In the Service of the Queen” showed how Beryt would greatly influence the way Egyptian theatre evolved.
Professional Milestones Define Samiha Ayyoub’s Legacy
Samiha Ayyoub’s role in “Al-Motasharida” (The Homeless, 1947) was important as it showed her ability to excel in all kinds of drama. Because of her strong performance, Bulbul was accepted into the Higher Institute of Dramatic Arts in 1949, and Tulaimat helped her grow as an artist.
Over her long and successful acting journey, Samiha Ayyoub was in just over 170 theater productions and became a well-known name in films. Her working with notable directors such as Hussein Kamal, Salah Abouseif and Salah Abu Seif brought about legendary classics such as “Al-Bakheel” (“The Miser”), “Kobry Al-Namoos” (“Mosquito Bridge”) and “Sikkat Al-Salama” (“The Right Way”). Mentioned in many important lists of the best Egyptian movies, “The Monster” starring Samiha Ayyoub is widely known as a classic of its kind.
Breaking Barriers: Samiha Ayyoub’s Directorial Ventures
Samiha Ayyoub opened the door for female directors in Egypt as one of the first women to direct films in the 1970s. She directed four stage productions and co-produced many plays and movies, which reflected her complete understanding of entertainment industry operations.
As an influential figure in the arts, she first led Modern Theatre (1972-1975) and also twice served as head of the National Theatre (from 1975 to 1989). Samiha Ayyoub, with these positions, was able to support developing performers and still perform herself.
Recent Works Showcase Samiha Ayyoub Enduring Vitality
In her last years, Samiha Ayyoub was very active, acting in TV shows such as “El-Tawoos” (in 2021) and “Agaza Maftouha” (also in 2021), as well as films like “Al-Leila Al-Kebira” (from 2015). When she acted in “Almaz and Si Abdo” (2021), it proved she always follows her love for live performance.
Samiha Ayyoub was made the honorary president at the 2021 Sharm el-Sheikh Theatre Festival, where she said that she drew strength from the stage and the audience brought her characters to life.
Samiha Ayyoub Contributions
Samiha Ayyoub won several important awards over the years, such as the Republic Medal of the First Class for Art from President Gamal Abdel-Nasser (1966) and the Knight Medal given by French President Giscard d’Estaing (1977). In 2015, she received the Nile Award in Arts, the nation’s highest honor for artists, recognizing her important contributions to culture.
Now, the main stage at the National Theatre is called the Samiha Ayyoub Stage, so her inspiration will live on in many following performers. The festival in 2024 was known as the Mahmouda Abdul-Rashid National Theater Festival to mark her lasting effect on Egyptian arts.
Throughout her time, Samiha Ayyoub had four marriages, each one in the artistic world, and her longest partnership was with playwright Saad El-Din Wahba, which lasted for thirty years.
