Taha Hussein (November 15, 1889 – October 28, 1973; Egyptian Arabic: [ˈtˤɑːhɑ ħ(e)ˈseːn]) was one of the most influential 20th century Egyptian writers and intellectuals, and a figurehead for the The Egyptian Renaissance and the modernist movement in the Middle East and North Africa. His sobriquet was "The Dean of Arabic Literature".Taha Hussein was born in Izbet el Kilo, a village in the Minya Governorate in central Upper Egypt.