Divas: d’Oum Kalthoum à Dalida

Mounira El Mahdeya, also spelled Monira Elmahdiyya (born Zakiyya Hesin Mansur, Arabic: منيرة المهدية; 16 May 1885 – 12 March 1965) and also known by the stage name "Sultana al-Tarab" (Queen of Singing), was an Egyptian singer and actress. She became known as the first Muslim actress on a theatre stage and the leading Egyptian female singer in the 1920s. Further, she was one of the few Egyptian women featured in commercial recordings before World War I. In the 21st century, El Mahdeya's life and career have received renewed interest in scholarly publications, an exhibition about Arab female musical stars as well as in contemporary music by Egyptian musician Nancy Mounir.