Who was Madiha Kamel? Google Doodle honours late Egyptian actress

Today would have been the Alexandria-born actress' 73rd birthday

Madiha Kamel's career spanned three decades, and both film and TV work. Photos: Facebook / Madiha Kamel Official

Today, August 3, would have been Madiha Kamel's 73rd birthday – and Google Doodle is honouring the actress by featuring her image on the search engine.

Kamel had a career that spanned close to three decades: she moved to Cairo from Alexandria in the early 1960s, where she started modelling. She had an immediate interest in the entertainment industry, but her parents wanted her to pursue an education, and so she studied at Ain Shams University. But even there she took part in student theatre and radio plays.

Her first on-screen roles came in the mid-1960s: with movies such as 30 Days in Prison, in which she starred alongside Farid Shawqi. In the 1970s she became a TV star with El Bashayer, and acted in both Egyptian and Lebanese movies, including Love and Pride and the spy movie Climbing to the Bottom.

Her fame definitely peaked in the 1970s, and she was known for her dancing, including belly dancing, at this time.

She was married three times, and had one daughter. She retired in the early 1990s to focus on family, and sadly passed away in 1997 after battling breast cancer.

Kamel's Google Doodle is being shown in a relatively small slice of the world today: it is being featured in Morocco, Algeria, Libya, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Iraq and Oman. Head here, to read more about doodles from the region.

The Google Doodle design:

The final Google Doodle design to honour Madiha Kamel's 73rd birthday.

And these are the early sketches of potential designs for the doodle:

The initial sketches of the Doodle.

Here are some other Google Doodles from the past that celebrate MENA region heroes:

A Google Doodle celebrating Egyptian actress Karima Mokhtar's 89th birthday. All images: Google

Egyptian writer Ihsan Abdel Quddous

Kuwaiti actor and comedian Abdulhussain Abdulredha's 83rd birthday

UAE National Day 2022 Google Doodle.

Ousha Al Suwaidi was a poetess from the United Arab Emirates.

Prof. Hamed Abdel Fattah Goher was an Egyptian oceanographer, scientist and TV presenter.

Tunisia's Tawhida Ben Cheikh was a pioneer in women's medicine.

Google Doodle of Egyptian actor and director Nour El-Sherif honours him on what would have been his 75th birthday.

Google celebrates Syrian-Egyptian composer and actor Farid Al Atrash with a Google Doodle to mark what would have been his 110th birthday.

Children's author Notaila Rashed is honoured with a special Google Doodle to mark her 86th birthday.

Egyptian actress, producer, writer and filmmaker Bahiga Hafez was born 112 years ago, on August 4.

The Google Doodle for January 20, 2020, celebrates Mufidah Abdul Rahman, Egypt's first female lawyer.

A Google Doodle on June 10, 2019, celebrates Egyptian author Ahmed Khaled Towfik.

Google Doodle honours Persian mathematician, poet and astronomer Omar Khayyam on what would have been his 971st birthday.

Mary Mounib was a renowned actress in the Egyptian cinema scene. Her 114th birthday is marked in a Google Doodle on February 11, 2019.

Egyptian poet Gamila El Alaily is honoured in a Google Doodle on March 20, 2019.

Syrian artist Louay Kayali is the subject of Google's doodle on January 20, 2019.

Egyptian-French singer and actress Dalida is honoured on her birthday by Google Doodle, on January 17, 2019.

Egyptian actress Hind Rostom is celebrated in a Google Doodle on her 87th birthday, on November 12, 2018.

Ibn Sina, one of the greatest thinkers of Islam's golden age, is honoured on August 7, 2018.

A Google Doodle honours Saudi musician Talal Maddah on what would have been his 78th birthday, on August 5, 2018.

A Google Doodle gif marks Egyptian actor Omar Sharif's birthday on April 10, 2018.

Egyptian poet Farouk Shousha is honoured by Google on what would have been his 82nd birthday, on January 9, 2018.

Google celebrates Lebanese singer Sabah's 90th birthday on November 10, 2017.

Egyptian painter Inji Aflatoun's Google Doodle pays homage to her style of bold brushstrokes.

Google celebrates the birthday of Algerian painter Mohammed Khadda, who was born on March 14, 1930.

Lebanese singer-songwriter Melham Barakat is honoured by Google on his birthday.