The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

Image via Sada El Balad

Mekky is hands-down the king of 21st Century Egyptian comedy. Although he’s been around and loved for a while, he cemented his position as a true icon with Al Kabeer Awi. Ever since Teer Enta (You Fly), he’s been recognised as the chameleon par excellence, giving us characters that reappear throughout his films and series, and people can’t seem to get enough of them. The long-standing debate about which Mekky persona is his best is seemingly endless, but we hope that this ranking does them all justice.

1- H. Dabbour

Image via el Cinema

Haitham Dabbour holds a very special place in our hearts, and there is a valid reason why he’s many people’s favourite Mekki character – including ours. Aside from Mekki’s breakthrough role in Morgan Ahmed Morgan, starring living legend Adel Imam, his performance as a spoiled brat trying to fit into society can only be described as hilarious and iconic. After all, when a minor character ends up with his own eponymous film just one year after a film’s release, you know they will be remembered for years.

2- Hazaloum

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The well of quotable Hazaloum lines from La Taragoa Wala Esteslam (No Turning Back, No Surrendering!) is endless. He’s your typical lovable idiot, and we can’t get enough of him. As a recurring character in Al Kabeer Awi, we still get excited when he appears on screen, no matter how long we’ve known him.

3- Al Kabeer

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The great patriarch and mayor of “Mazareeta,” Al Kabeer, has been the hegemon of Egyptian television since 2010, and for good reason. Like Mekky does with any other character, Al Kabeer is satyrical and overexaggerated, and that’s the very reason everyone loves him. Taking the stereotype of the Upper Egyptian patriarch to the extreme, between the accent, mannerisms, and makeup, Al Kabeer is the image that pops into our heads when we think of Ahmed Mekky.

4- Johnny

Image via Khabr Abyad

We first met Johnny in the first episode of Al Kabeer Awi. As we rewatched the first few episodes of the series, we remembered what made us fall in love with him to begin with. His feud with Kabeer was hilarious, and despite being a hyper-exaggerated stereotypical depiction of Americans, Johnny’s satirical obnoxiousness and over-the-top accent are what make him so special and unique.

5- Baheeg

Image via el Cinema

A hopeless romantic and a nerd, Baheeg is the stereotypical nice guy that you can’t help but love, although he doesn’t get nearly as much love as other Mekky characters, maybe because he doesn’t get that much screen time and only appears in Teer Enta. But his quirky energy and big heart earned him a place on this list. From his unwavering love for Laila, played by Donia Samir Ghanem, to how he rides his scooter around his apartment, you just can’t help but love Baheeg and every word he utters.