Description

Fahreda (Mazar) "Little Egypt" Spyropoulos (b. 1872 - d. 1937) was born in Syria, the daughter of Elias Mahzer (birth place and birthdate unknown) and Mary (last name, birth place, and birthdate unknown). She was a dancer who performed at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893, also known as “Fatima” and later “Little Egypt.” She first performed in the United States at age 10 at a saloon called the Bird Cage Theatre in Tombstone, Arizona, but she did not rise to public attention until 12 years later, at her performance at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition. Though not of Egyptian or Algerian descent, Spyropoulos appeared in the Exposition at the “Egyptian Temple” attraction in a show called “The Algerian Dancers of Morocco.” Her performance was reputed to have been the only attraction at the Columbian Exhibition to garner more money than the Ferris wheel, and after the Exhibition closed, Spyropoulos and her “exotic dancing” became a regular attraction in the “Streets of Cairo” section at Coney Island in New York City.

Fahreda was married to Andrew Spyropoulos.

Other women performed with the stage name "Little Egypt", including Ashea Wabe and Fatima Djemille. The name became synonymous with exotic dancing.

It is a common legend in Prescott, Arizona that Little Egypt performed at the Palace Saloon in 1910. However, there is no corroborating evidence to verify it.

Handwriting on back of photograph reads: "Little Egypt. Belly Dancer. Performed at Chicago World's Fair-also said to have performed at the old Palace Saloon."

Fahreda died on April 5, 1937 in Chicago, Illinois.

Burial in Elmwood Cemetery in River Grove, Illinois.

Sources: Sharlot Hall Museum "Days Past" The Mystery of Little Egypt at the Palace in Prescott" by Parker Anderson; Illinois, Cook County, Deaths, 1878-1994; "Looking for Little Egypt" by Donna Carlton".