Almah or Almeh (Arabic: عالمة ʕálma IPA: [ˈʕālma], plural ʕawālim عوالم [ʕāˈwāːlem, -lɪm], from علم ʻālima "to know, be learned") was the name of a class of courtesans or female entertainers in Egypt, women educated to sing and recite classical Arabic poetry and to discourse wittily. They were educated girls of good social standing, trained in dancing, singing and poetry, present at festivals and entertainments, and hired as mourners at funerals.
Almah or Almeh (Arabic: عالمة ʕálma IPA: [ˈʕālma], plural ʕawālim عوالم [ʕāˈwāːlem, -lɪm], from علم ʻālima "to know, be learned") was the name of a class of courtesans or female entertainers in Egypt, women educated to sing and recite classical Arabic poetry and to discourse wittily. They were educated girls of good social standing, trained in dancing, singing and poetry, present at festivals and entertainments, and hired as mourners at funerals.
Source: Wikipedia "Almah (dancer)" · CC BY-SA 4.0
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