HUMAN OF UPPER EGYPT

Where Heritage Lives
Stories Breathe.

Documenting Living Heritage. Preserving Cultural Identity.

About Us

Humans of Upper Egypt is a visual storytelling and cultural documentation platform founded by Mahmoud Hawary in 2011. Through photography, documentary filmmaking, and visual anthropology, we document the living heritage, identities, and everyday stories of communities across Upper Egypt. Over the years, the platform has developed a distinctive visual school that has influenced a generation of photographers across the region, shaping a way of seeing and documenting culture through human stories, identity, and community life. Our mission goes beyond documenting the past. We explore how heritage continues to live, evolve, and connect generations.

Learn More

OUR SERVICES

DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKING & PHOTOGRAPHY

Producing documentary films, photography projects, and visual content that capture human stories, cultural identities, and living heritage across Upper Egypt.

CULTURAL DOCUMENTATION & VISUAL ANTHROPOLOGY

Researching and documenting living heritage, traditional practices, rituals, crafts, oral histories, and everyday community life through visual anthropology and field research.

PHOTOGRAPHY TRAINING & CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Empowering emerging photographers and visual storytellers through practical training, mentorship, and creative development programs that build skills, encourage authentic storytelling, and nurture new voices from Upper Egypt.

CULTURAL PROJECTS & CREATIVE COLLABORATIONS

Developing and producing cultural and artistic projects through creative collaborations, institutional partnerships, exhibitions, and community-based initiatives that connect local heritage with contemporary visual storytelling.

VISUAL ARCHIVING & HERITAGE PRESERVATION

Building and preserving visual archives of Upper Egypt through photography, documentary films, oral histories, and cultural records, safeguarding community memories, local identities, and living heritage for future generations.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT & PARTICIPATORY STORYTELLING

Working closely with local communities to create meaningful cultural experiences, encourage community participation, amplify local voices, and develop stories that reflect people's identities, experiences, and perspectives.

CULTURAL HEADQUARTERS & ART HUB

Serving as the institutional headquarters of Humans of Upper Egypt, an organization affiliated with the Ministry of Social Solidarity, our space also operates as a creative Art Hub welcoming artists, photographers, filmmakers, researchers, and visitors. It provides a place for cultural activities, creative exchange, collaboration, meetings, and community gatherings in Upper Egypt.

Humans of upper Egypt

A Cultural Documentation & Visual Storytelling Platform

Founded in 2011 by the artist Mahmoud Hawary, Humans of Upper Egypt is an independent cultural platform dedicated to documenting living heritage, local identities, and everyday life across Upper Egypt. Through photography, documentary filmmaking, visual anthropology, and community-based storytelling, the platform preserves cultural memory and nurtures new voices from the region.