Prostitution in Egypt

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Prostitution is illegal in Egypt. The police say they fight it, but it still exists. Estimates put about 23,000 prostitutes in the country, including Egyptians, West Africans, and Eastern Europeans.

A brief look at history:
- Ancient Egypt: Prostitution appears in old texts and art. Some entertainers and prostitutes were depicted with tattoos or images of gods.
- Roman era: Prostitution was regulated, with registration and taxes.
- Islamic and Ottoman periods: Prostitution often connected to slavery. Islamic law didn’t allow prostitution, but practices around concubinage and slave trade affected how it worked. There were both free prostitutes and enslaved women; officials taxed and regulated prostitution at times, while others tried to ban it.
- 17th century: Two guilds for prostitutes were created.
- 1798 onward: After the French invasion, brothels expanded. The French tried to control disease by limiting soldiers’ access to brothels.
- 1834–1837: Muhammad Ali Pasha banned prostitution and female public dancing in Cairo and later across Egypt.
- Late 19th century: The Anglo-Egyptian Slave Trade Convention (1884) banned the sex slave trade involving white women and allowed slaves to seek manumission. Some freed women turned to prostitution; organizations helped protect former slaves.
- 1882–1900s: British influence led to health regulations for prostitutes and brothels (1885 health inspections; 1896 brothel controls). International efforts to fight trafficking began in Alexandria (1904) and Port Said (1914), though consular privilege sometimes hindered enforcement.
- Early 20th century: Prostitution linked to foreign troops, with outbreaks of venereal disease and notable incidents such as riots by Allied soldiers in Cairo.
- 1932–1951: Prostitution licenses were abolished (1932); later laws punished men who lived off prostitutes (1937). Brothels were banned in 1949, and a 1951 law targeted pimping.

Modern situation:
- Prostitution today remains illegal and is often organized by pimps or networks. Some women work through “the network” in major cities like Cairo and Alexandria.
- Temporary arrangements, such as certain forms of Nikah mut’ah or “summer marriages,” are used by some wealthier visitors from the Gulf to obtain brief, transactional sexual arrangements. These arrangements can involve underage girls and are not taxed or regulated as prostitution.
- Egypt is a source, transit, and destination for people, including women and children, who are sexually exploited. Some victims come from the Persian Gulf or other regions, and refugees and migrants can be especially vulnerable to trafficking and exploitation. Child sex tourism has been reported in cities like Cairo, Alexandria, and Luxor.
- The United States government lists Egypt as a Tier 2 country in its trafficking report, meaning it does not fully meet anti-trafficking standards but is making efforts to improve.

In short, prostitution is illegal in Egypt, with a long and complex history of regulation, punishment, and trafficking. Modern concerns focus on illegal networks, exploitation, and trafficking, including the involvement of vulnerable groups such as refugees and minors.