Kamil Yusuf Al-Bahtimi

Kamil Yusuf Al-Bahtimi (1922–1969) was a Qur'an reciter from Egypt who was also a reciter at the Presidential Palace was best known in the 1950s and 1960s, he was a famous qari in the style of mujawwad and a hafiz by age 10. Yusuf al Bahtimi was born in the village of Bahtim in the Qalyubia governorate in he early 1920s where he spent his early life. Since childhood, he was praised by villagers for his beautiful voice whenever he recited the Quran. He later moved to Cairo and enrolled at Al-Azhar University where he learnt the principles of Mujawwad recitation and Tajwid under the mentorship of Muhammad Salamah. Kamil Yusuf al Bahtimi started professionally reciting on radio in 1953 and he quickly gained fame all around Egypt for his unmistakable resonating voice. He was specifically known for his maqam nahwand recitations and impeccable tajwid which also earned him the nickname Throat of Steel and The Perfectionist. He also frequently recited alongside other qaris like Muhammad Siddiq Al-Minshawi and Abdul Basit, he also travelled to countries like Syria, Palestine (Jerusalem) and Jordan However as time went on, a part of his Quran recordings were either damaged, lost or kept in private collections for decades, which is the reason why he became less known over time. Just 2 years before his death, he was poisoned when he was reciting at a gathering, someone laced his coffee with poisonous substances, he was rushed to the hospital where he recovered, though his voice wasn't as powerful as it was before, this was the fourth attempt taken on his life. 2 years later in 1969, Kamil yusuf al Bahtimi died of a brain hemorrhage, he was then buried at the Bahtim cemetery.