Worshippers at Al Azhar mosque in Cairo during Ramadan. EPA
Worshippers offer the taraweeh night prayer at Al Azhar mosque during the holy month. Photo: EPA
Many Egyptian Muslim men develop a 'zebiba' - a dark, hardened patch of skin on the forehead caused by repeatedly prostrating themselves in prayer. EPA
But not all worshippers develop a zebiba - raisin in Arabic - or to the same degree. While Cairo garage attendant Mahmoud Nassar, 43, left, has a noticable mark, that on colleague Reda Abdelsalam, 47, is more faint. Nada El Sawy / The National
Mohammed Abu Bilal, 47, in downtown Cairo. The zebiba is a reaction to the friction of the skin against a harsh surface, such as a rough mat. Nada El Sawy / The National
Cairo Uber driver Mohammed Nour, 40, says he goes to the mosque to pray at least five or six times a day during Ramadan. Nada El Sawy / The National
Cairo accountant Ibrahim Abbas, 48, says his zebiba is due to praying frequently from a young age. Nada El Sawy / The National
Ahmed Abdel Fattah, 48, in downtown Cairo. The zebiba seems to be found mainly in Egypt and only in men. Nada El Sawy / The National
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi also has a zebiba. Photo: Reuters
Former president Hosni Mubarak, left, pictured while vice president with then president Anwar Sadat in 1981. Only Sadat has a zebiba. Photo: AFP
