Egypt’s Ministry of Culture suspends activities, events for 3 days in mourning of Field Marshal Tantawi

CAIRO – 21 September 2021: In implementation of the decision of Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi, who declared a general mourning for the passing of Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawy, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, and former Minister of Defense and Military Production, the Egyptian Ministry of Culture decided to suspend all cultural activities and events from September 21 until September 23.

Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi Suleiman was born on October 31, 1935, joined the Military College of the Infantry Corps, and graduated in the 35th batch on April 1, 1956.

He obtained a Bachelor of Military Science, the Higher War College course, and rose in positions until he took over the Ministry of Defense in 1991.

Moreover, he was promoted to the rank of Field Marshal in October 1993, and continued in his position until August 2012.

Field Marshal Mohammad Hussein Tantawi rose in positions, starting with a platoon commander in one of the infantry battalions, then a member of the teaching staff at the Military College, and progressed until he reached the commander of the 16th Infantry Mechanized Division in the October War.

The former Minister of Defense also held the position of Military Attaché in the State of Pakistan, then head of the Operations Branch of the Second Field Army, until he reached the position of Chief of Staff of the Second Field Army, the commander of the Second Field Army, and then to the leadership of the Republican Guard Forces in 1988.