Egypt bids farewell to superstar Omar Sharif in mass funeral

Egyptian movie stars, officials and media professionals attended on Sunday the funeral of Egyptian and international legendary movie star Omar Sharif who died in Cairo Friday afternoon of a heart attack at the age of 83.

The body of the star of "Lawrence of Arabia" and "Doctor Zhivago" was buried in a tomb at Sayyida Nafisa graveyard in Cairo, raising a wave of sadness among his family members, friends and millions of local and foreign fans.

"My great friend Omar Sharif has passed away. I will always miss him. He was one of the best," Hollywood movie star Antonio Banderas posted on his official Twitter and Facebook pages, mourning the death of one of the best actors and most handsome men of his time.

Sharif was born in 1932 in Alexandria to Christian Lebanese parents. He converted to Islam in 1955 to get married to Egyptian actress Fatin Hamama, known among fans as "the Lady of the Arabian Screen," who died earlier in January also at 83.

Sharif used to refer to Hamama as "the love of my life" and he never married again after they separated in 1974.

Sharif starred over 20 Egyptian distinguished films before he stepped to the international cinema through his part in the British film "Lawrence of Arabia" in 1962 that marked a turning point in his career. Endit