Al-Fukaha (Arabic: الفكاهة; DMG: al-Fukāha; English: "Humour" or "Joke") was an Arabic-language satirical weekly magazine published in Cairo, Egypt, between 1926 and 1933.
Overview
Al-Fukaha was produced by the prominent Egyptian publishing house Dar al-Hilal, which edited seven volumes comprising a total of 369 issues. The periodical was published on a weekly basis and consisted of 48 pages per issue.
Content and Style
Each issue typically opened with a caricatural cover illustration. The magazine featured a wide range of caricatures, comics, and illustrations that supplemented its satirical texts. The visual style of the publication has been described as reminiscent of the art found in The New Yorker and the pin-up art of that era.
The satire in Al-Fukaha addressed two primary subjects:
- The daily life of Cairo and its social conditions
- The international social scene of the time
History and Successor
In 1933, Dar al-Hilal merged Al-Fukaha with another of its publications, al-Kawakib, to create a new satire magazine titled Al-Ithnayn (Arabic for "The Two").
Archival Availability
The University of Bonn has digitized and made available archives of the magazine spanning its publication years (1926–1933), providing researchers with access to the full run of issues. The magazine is also documented in academic literature on Egyptian press history and Arab cultural studies, including works by Marilyn Booth and Tarik Sabry.
Significance
Al-Fukaha is recognized as an early example of Egyptian humor and satirical journalism, contributing to the development of caricature and comic art in the Arab press. It is frequently cited in scholarship on the history of Egyptian media and satire.
