In Egypt, the pandemic reignites passion for traditional oud

Children work on Arabian Ouds at a workshop belonging to Khaled Azzouz, a veteran oud-maker at the al-Marg district on the outskirts of the Egyptian capital Cairo. Photo: AFP

While he waits for his lesson at an Egyptian music school, Maissara Mohammed plays his oud, its soothing tones dissolving the stress of daily life during the coronavirus pandemic.

"I play four instruments, but the oud is certainly my favourite," says the 27-year-old Sudanese engineer, hunched over the pear-shaped body of his instrument.