Mohsen El-Araby's Sons is one of the oldest copper industry workshops in El-Hussein neighbourhood, south Cairo.

Essam, 54, the owner of the workshop, says it was opened in 1925 by his grandfather, Essam, and his brother Said, 42, who represents the shop's third generation.

Essam and Said learned the craft from their father when they were 9 and as a result didn't finish school.

Essam has since retired from working in the shop and now only sells copper utensils. Said, though, still makes copper engravings.

"A coppersmith should be a good painter before he starts engraving," Said says. "He should start engraving at a very young age. Nobody can work as a coppersmith without these conditions."

Said has two children – but he didn't want to teach them the craft, which had been passed down from his father and grandfather.

Essam and Said have never worked in any other profession before. They've also never learned any other craft, only copper engraving.

All photos by Mai Shaheen