Prostitution in Egypt is illegal. Prostitutes in Ancient Egypt were respected and even considered sacred as the first institutions where prostitution flourished were the temples of the Gods. Families often gave their most beautiful daughters to the priests of his temple. As soon as they grew too old for the tastes of the priests they were allowed to leave. Many practised prostitution until they were married.
As in the rest of the Roman Empire, prostitution was regulated. Prostitutes had to be registered [9] and taxes were collected from them. Prostitution was generally tolerated and taxed during this period, [11] the rulers taking the view that prohibition would not stop prostitution and that tax revenue would be lost. There were periods when prostitution was prohibited following pressure on the rulers from Muslim clerics.
Under Ottoman rule, the regulation and taxation of prostitutes continued. Prostitution flourished following the French invasion of Egypt in The French organised additional prostitutes brought over from Europe. Offenders received a death penalty. In Muhammad Ali Pasha outlawed prostitution [13] and female public dancing in Cairo. Article of the Mixed Penal Code of states: A pimp who incites young men or women below the age of 21 to evil practices leading to rape is to be punished by a period of imprisonment not less than one month and not more than one year.
Following the abolition of slavery in , many recently freed female slaves turned to prostitution to survive. After the British occupation of , the authorities were concerned about disease spreading amongst the troops. They made legal provisions to control prostitution and introduced a system of healthcare. Australian soldiers stationed in Egypt in World War I including the famous half Chinese Australian sniper Billy Sing [16] were major customers of Egyptian prostitutes in the local red light districts and brothels.
High prices by the prostitutes led to the Wasser red light area becoming the scene of a major riot by New Zealand and Australian soldiers on Good Friday in In a Cabinet decree abolished licences for prostitution and established the "Public Morals Police". A new penal code was introduced in and included a section to punish men who lived off the earnings of prostitutes.
