About the artist:
Taher (1911–2007) graduated from the école des beaux-arts in 1934, became director of the Museum of Egyptian Modern Art in 1961 and director of the Opera House in 1966. He was also an artistic advisor for al-Ahram, and the collection includes seventy of his pieces. this painting is often referred to as the Pilgrimage as it depicts groups of people circling a central point.
For more, see Maher Dawoud's article 'The Memory of a Nation' from Rawi magazine's Issue 8 available online (link in details).