Hanan Turk

Born in (Cairo) on 7th of March 1976, Hanan was one of three children, Hanan, Hussein and Hossam of a Father who owns a Factory for Women's wear (El Torki for Dresses).

One of Egypt's foremost leading ladies of the 1990s, Hanan has managed to make her mark on Arabic audiences as well.

One of Egypt's most talented actresses. With her expressive brown eyes, lustrous dark hair and flawless olive skin, the ballet dancer, and actress burst onto the scene in 1991, making her mark on the Egyptian Actresses list and audiences as well.

After years of intensive study in ballet, she broke into acting in 1991.

She co-stars with Nadia El Gendyand Mahmoud Hemida in Raghba Motawahesha (1992).

In 1992, she had starring roles in Al-mohager (1994), for famous director Youssef Chahine.

In 1998, she had the starring role as well in El-Akhar (1999), two very disparate films. Hanan proved to be a huge success.

In 2005 the film Dunia (2005) by Lebanese director Jocelyn Saab Hanan played the leading role. The movie centers around the title character Dunia, a belly dancer and poet. When the film aired at the 2005 Cairo International Film Festival, it left the audience split between those who supported the film's call for intellectual freedom and its stance against female circumcision, and those who disapproved of the title character's desire to physically express herself through dance. It was also controversial that so many scenes were filmed in Cairo's slums, which could be seen to tarnish Egypt's international image. The film was especially controversial in Egypt for taking up the tradition of female circumcision, among other reasons; it received a good deal of attention in Europe.

In 2006, Hanan she chose to begin wearing the Islamic head scarf and has been very vocal about this decision. Despite wearing the hijab, she has continued acting. In August 2012 she decided to stop acting and focus on her family.