Egyptian director Shireen Qasem is gearing up to shoot the historical series al Zaher Baibers scripted by the late writer Taha Shalabi and costarring Ahmed Maher, Dalal Abdel Aziz, Hadi al Gayyar and Tahani Rashed.
The 40-episode series tackles the life history of al Zaher Baibers since he was kidnapped while young and named Mahmoud and offering him for sale to the King al Naser al Ayyoubi. The king’s mother refused the offer because she saw wickedness in his eyes and so he was sold to prince A’laiddin Edkin.
Many of Baibers’ talents began to appear in view of his training at the pastures of al Qafjak area (the area surrounding Caspian Sea). His status began to shoot up and managed to become ruler of Egypt. He was the real founder of the Mamlouk State, which helped Khalil bin Qalawoon at a later stage to eliminate any traces of the Crusaders’ campaigns, which lasted four centuries.
“No body can deny the efforts, heroic acts and conquests of Baibers contained in 30 folders in addition to his fear of God and his many attitudes in that respect,” the director told the daily al Hayat.
The series tackles also the state of disintegration, which Muslims put themselves in when some of them collaborated with the Mughols against their brothers. But the few groups who maintained resistance won victory in the end
It is noteworthy to mention that Taha Shalabi died in September 1999 while he was wrapping up his series. He based the series on various sources the most prominent of which were Badaea’ al Thuhoor Fi Waqaea’ al Duhoor, Bidayah Wa Nihayah (Beginning and End) and Diwan al E’bar (Wisdom Divan) -- Albawaba.com
