The annual exhibition Deyarna (Our Homes) for Handicraft and Heritage was inaugurated this week. Under the slogan “Egypt Speaks Crafts”, the exhibition will run until 16 February featuring 200 exhibitors from various governorates.
The exhibition supports handicraft owners, helping preserve Egypt’s cultural heritage by promoting traditional crafts, boosting the competitiveness of locally made products against imports and developing the crafts sector while enhancing craftsmen’s skills, according to a statement from the Ministry of Social Solidarity.
This year the fair features Ramadan decorations, including tablecloths, embroidered and inlaid linen kaftans and lanterns, as well as home accessories and leatherwork.
Noura, an exhibitor, is showcasing heat-proof cooking glassware and decorative items, highlighting new pieces created especially for Ramadan. “We’ve introduced a Ramadan collection called the Sufi Dervish,” Noura says, referring to members of a Muslim Sufi order known for vows of austerity. The collection also includes glass Ramadan lanterns designed for storing dates. Noura has been taking part in the exhibition for 18 years.
Yousreya Abdel-Rahman is another craftswoman working in pottery. She also teaches the craft in her own pottery work education centre in Sharm El-Sheikh. Having taken part in the exhibition for 13 years, Abdel-Rahman’s display includes pottery lanterns, pottery cooking pots, traditional vases, mugs, ornamental plates, and incense burners on the occasion of Ramadan.
“I want Egyptian customers to trust handmade Egyptian products,” she said, praising the skill of Egyptian craftsmen.
Hani Hammouda is an artist and a decoupage painting designer who has been a part of the exhibition for 10 years in Egypt and abroad. “This year we are focusing on oriental images like the Tanoura, the Dervish, and Andalusian doors,” Hammouda said.
Fatma Al-Shorbagi, a first-time visitor to the fair, says she has a strong appreciation of handmade products that reflect Egyptian identity. “I’m especially drawn to the embroidered bags; the materials are very durable,” she explains. She also admires home décor made from olive tree wood, such as mirrors, noting that they create a sense of inner peace. In addition, Al-Shorbagi said she was impressed by the galabiyas, traditional rural women’s dresses, reimagined with modern designs while preserving the classic embroidery and wide sleeves once worn by village women.
Walaa and her mother were also shopping for Ramadan at the exhibition for the first time. They bought some lanterns that were made from macramé strings to decorate their home for the holy month which starts next week. “I like the home decorations for Ramadan, the traditional dresses, and the crochet products displayed in the exhibition. I expected more reductions for Ramadan on some of the products though.”
Meanwhile, the annual Ahlan Ramadan (Welcome, Ramadan) fair to help citizens meet their needs ahead of the holy month is open. Minister of Agriculture Alaa Farouk, Minister of Supply Sherif Farouk, and Giza Governor Adel Al-Naggar inaugurated the fair at the Agricultural Museum in Dokki last week. The initiative aims to provide essential food commodities at discounted prices to ease pressure on household budgets and support price stability.
The fair will run until the end of Ramadan, with plans to expand to around 1,000 outlets nationwide, according to an official statement.
The exhibition offers a wide range of staples, including meat, poultry, cooking oil, rice, sugar, legumes, vegetables, and dairy products.
“This year, the offers are very good,” said Manar, a pensioner. “I bought a 5 kg bag of potatoes for LE20 and a carton of eggs for LE105, compared to around LE140 in the market.”
Housewife Hoda also praised the quality and prices of vegetables and dairy products on display.
While prices of dried fruits and nuts remain largely unchanged from last year, vendors say purchasing options have been adjusted. “We now sell many items in 250 g portions because not everyone can afford large quantities,” one vendor explained. Prices range from LE35 to LE50 for 250 g of raisins, LE70 to LE81 for dried prunes, LE79 to LE110 for qamareddin, and LE15 to LE24 for dried figs. Dates sell for LE35-60 per kg, while nuts range from LE130 to LE225 per 250 g.
Basic staples are also cheaper than market prices. Sugar sells for LE25 per kg, down from LE28, while rice ranges from LE20 to LE33 per kg. A kg of spaghetti sells for LE23, down from LE35.
Cooking oil prices are also discounted. A 700 g bottle sells for LE53.5, compared to LE60 previously, while four litres of sunflower oil cost LE292, down from LE305.
Vendors report strong demand for essentials such as vegetables, spices, dried foods, and cheaper cooking oils like cottonseed. Meat and poultry are also in demand, with meat selling at around LE280 per kg compared to more than LE400 at butchers’, and poultry at LE110, around eight per cent cheaper than at poultry shops.
Another vendor estimates prices at the fair are around 30 per cent lower than the market. “The focus is on Ramadan essentials,” he said, noting that fava beans — central to the Sohour meal — are among the top sellers, priced from LE25 per kg for imported beans to LE60 for local varieties.
The Ahlan Ramadan fair is usually held 15 days before the start of Ramadan, when families traditionally begin stocking up for the holy month.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 12 February, 2026 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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