Ahmed El-Hadary, a seasoned Egyptian film critic and historian, died on Sunday after a struggle with illness.
Born in 1926 in Cairo's Abbasiya neighbourhood, El-Hadary graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts with a bachelor's degree in architecture.
He was a practicing architect alongside his work in cinema and film criticism.
El-Hadary was dubbed the 'sheikh' (master) of critics, and was the founder and former head of the Egyptian Film Writers and Critics Association, which announced his death Sunday in a statement of condolences.
The association had previously honoured the founder by naming one of its halls after him.
El-Hadary was also the former head of the Alexandria Mediterranean Countries Film Festival, and was named the honorary president of the 32nd edition of the festival.
He authored a multi-volume series titled The History of Cinema in Egypt.
Minister of Culture Helmy El-Namnam also expressed his condolences for "the loss of a great pillar in Egyptian cinema," adding that El-Hadary "enriched the culture scene with his writings, translations and creative works."
El-Hadary's funeral will be held Monday at El-Hassan Mosque, in Heliopolis, near the Cairo Medical Center. The wake will be held on Tuesday at an as-yet unconfirmed location.
