Among the giants, she shone… How Somaya Al-Alfi made Nourhan’s icon

Despite the diversity of roles and the multiplicity of characters presented by the Egyptian artist Somaya Al-Alfi since her beginnings in the mid-seventies of the last century, the character of “Princess Nourhan” in the series Layali Al-Helmeya (1989) remained the most prominent sign that established her presence in the collective memory, to the point that the audience began to call her “The Princess.”

With the announcement of her death today, Saturday, this iconic role returned to the forefront, as a turning point in her career, as she appeared in the second part of the most prominent epic work in the history of Arab drama. Al-Alfi, the wife of Salim Pasha Al-Badri, presented a calm and elegant performance, devoid of exaggeration, which made the character close and convincing, far from the clichés of condescension associated with palace ladies.

Her sober features and classic beauty contributed to consolidating the image of the “princess” without being pretentious, whether in fashion or speech. She appeared with remarkable poise and wisdom, and maintained the sincerity of my performance, giving the character a clear human dimension.

Brightness among giants
Despite the work being crowded with heavy names who played immortal roles – from Salah Al-Saadani in the role of “Mayor Suleiman Ghanem”, to Safia Al-Omari in “Nazek Hanem Al-Selhdar”, and “Yahya Al-Fakharani” in “Salim Pasha Al-Badri” – Al-Alfi was able to establish her presence, to the point that many people named their daughters “Nourhan” after her.

The series dealt with the class struggle between authentic values ​​and emergent values ​​that see money as the only criterion, tracking the social, economic and political transformations in Egypt from the mid-twentieth century until the nineties, so that “Nourhan” remains one of its most established and influential characters.