Video: Egypt's sugar 'brides'
![RELIGION-EGYPT/PROPHET A woman decorates traditional sugar candy in the shape of a doll at a street market ahead of Mawlid al-Nabi, the birthday of Prophet Mohammad, in Cairo, Egypt November 12, 2018. Picture taken November 12, 2018. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany - RC12462B4D90](/sites/default/files/styles/article_hero_medium/public/almpics/2018/11/RTS26O99.jpg/RTS26O99.jpg?h=a5ae579a&itok=txrobJAI)
Earlier this month, Muslims around the world celebrated Mawlid al-Nabawi, observance of the Prophet Muhammad’s birthday. In Egypt, the celebrations are influenced by a local tradition that dates back nearly 1,000 years, to the Fatimid period: to children's delight, they devour sugary treats made in the shape of a bride or a horse.
While production techniques for these confections have advanced, a few candymakers have remained intent on preserving the centuries-old practice of making and decorating the figures by hand.