'Her timelessness lives on': Arab world mourns death of Egyptian star Shadia

Born Fatimah Shaker, but known throughout her career by her stage name Shadia, she was an actress, singer and a beauty icon known for her elegance, timelessness and sheer talent.

Shadia suffered a stroke this month leading to her health deteriorating and falling into a coma before her death. 

Shadia began her career in 1947 and was in 177 movies up until her retirement in 1984. She also featured in various radio shows and starred in the famous play Rayya Wa Skeena.

During the production of the play, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and left for the United States for surgery.

Her acting roles ranged from characters portraying country girls to career women, to satirical portrayals of emotionally disturbed women and hopeless romantics.

Even after her shock retirement, which was initially thought to be because of pressure from religious clerics, she continued to feature in TV screens as an everlasting stamp mark of Arab of talent in the Arab world.

Twitter Post

Raya W Skeena is a play that has been handed down from the generations, based on a true story of two serial killer sisters in Alexandria. 

Twitter Post

Young Arabs in the diaspora remember her as a connection to home. More often than not, Arab parents abroad familiarised their children with their Arab culture using popular culture from past eras.

Twitter Post

Photos of her were shared with other stars of her time. This is a picture of her with Abdulhalim al-Hafiz.

Twitter Post

Throughout her life, Shadia was known for her beauty along with her talent. Even today, she is seen as an Arab beauty icon.

Twitter Post

One thing is clear, in the midst of the sadness people are not letting her legacy wither away after her death.

Twitter Post

Twitter Post