Culture Minister Abdel Wahed Nabawi mourned on Friday stars Omar el Sherif and Samy el Adl, who passed away earlier in the day.

In a statement, the minister said "we were shocked by the death of Omar el Sherif. It is a great loss."

Sherif died at a hospital in Helwan at the age of 83. Sherif gained popularity and fame both at home and abroad.

He won two Golden Globe awards and an Oscar nomination for his role as Sherif Ali in David Lean's 1962 epic Lawrence of Arabia.

The culture minister also mourned Egyptian actor and producer Samy el Adl who contributed a lot to the Egyptian cinema, saying "we will miss him so much".

Adl was lately admitted to hospital due to heart problems.