Yousuf Shaheen's funeral takes place in Cairo

Cairo: Legendary Egyptian filmmaker Yousef Shaheen was laid to rest on Monday, as scores of mourners gathered at a Cairo church to bid him farewell.

Hundreds of celebrities and top figures in Arab cinema were among the over 1,500 mourners who converged at the iconic director's funeral at the Roman Catholic Church of Resurrection.

Huge crowds gathered outside as Shaheen's coffin, draped with an Egyptian flag, was carried into the church.

Officials from the ruling National Democratic Party also attended the funeral.

After the ceremony, his body was to be taken to his hometown of Alexandria for burial in the family crypt.

Shaheen, Arab cinema's most celebrated and controversial director, died aged 82 on Sunday in a Cairo hospital.