Bawab

A bawab or bewab (Arabic: بواب‎ bawwāb  pronounced [bæwˈwæːb], literally "gatekeeper"[1]) is a kind of doorman common in Cairo, Egypt.[1] A bawab's job is to watch the entrance of the house or building where they work and perform errands and tasks for residents, essentially combining the function of a doorman with that of a building superintendent and errand boy.[1] The bawab has been described by the BBC as a security guard, porter, enforcer of social mores and general snoop, all rolled into one.[2]

Most buildings have four to six bawabs who work in shifts.[1] Bawabs are usually male and wear a gallabeya (a type of kaftan), a native Egyptian dress.[3] Traditionally, bawabs have been Nubians, an ethnic group from southern Egypt and northern Sudan.[1] Often they come from rural areas.[2] Many modern bawabs are local ex-military men, and some buildings have transitioned to using private security companies which provide uniformed guards.[1]

A bawab's salary is determined and paid by residents of the house or the residential building. Many bawabs augment their salary by taking tips from residents and prospective tenants.[1] A bawab might accept a tip from residents seeking privacy for a romantic rendezvous, or from couples looking to rent a unit.[1] Bawabs have been criticized for this system of taking tips or bribes to avoid the bawab gossiping to other residents about them.[2][3] Women in particular have been subject to the threat of reputational damage, with one female visitor to a BBC reporter saying "I can't come up to your apartment with him there...he'll think I'm a whore!"[2]

Bawab characters are common in media featuring Cairo.[1] For example, Egyptian actor Ahmed Zaki portrayed a bawab in the 1990 film El-Beh El-Bawab (English: The Gentle Guard).[4]