Egypt has always boasted a diverse range of crafts and handicrafts, including the art of khayamiya, the art of making tents and other appliqued items. 

Khayamiya is more than just another traditional craft, however, as it is an authentic part of the country’s cultural heritage and of Egyptian identity. It reflects the craftsmanship of Egyptian workers and combines elements from the past and the present to produce a symbol of Egyptian civilisation.

Khayamiya is the art of cloth decoration on canvas, where different designs are sewn on in appliqué fashion to make tents, tablecloths, pillows, and so on. The magic of the colours and the elegance of the designs are reflected in every piece to create attractive works. The uniqueness of khayamiya lies in the fact that it combines simplicity and complexity, originality and modernity, merging to create masterpieces.

Wanting to know more about this art today, Al-Ahram Weekly decided to take a plunge into the world of khayamiya and meet some of the men at its helm. We met with craftsmen who took us into a realm of creativity and magic, where they live a life full of passion and have trained at the hands of parents and grandparents.

Khayamiya is a profession that is passed down through the generations and has been practised up to now in certain neighbourhoods of Islamic Cairo. Visiting a popular neighbourhood, the sounds of work could be heard as craftsmen were bent over their object of passion: making khayamiya tents.

Mohsen Shaaban, 75, is one of the senior figures in the profession. He has spent 55 years in this ancient craft, which he decided to pass down to his son. “I taught my son all the secrets of the profession and its intricate details,” Shaaban said. “But this craft requires patience and dedication, and it is not as easy as it seems.”

Sameh Suleiman, who was taught the craft at the hands of his grandparents, concurred.

“I have been designing tents since I was a child, and the whole family is in the profession,” he told the Weekly. 

“I tried to teach my daughters as well, but only one of them could learn the skill since the profession needs both talent and long training. After all, it is not easy to come up with new and attractive designs that need a lot of creativity.”

Most customers, according to Suleiman, go for designs including elements of nature like birds and flowers, combining these with classic and modern styles.

“Our workshop is full of different designs that customers can choose from, and we use many different materials including cotton, silk, satin and teal,” he said. “We may also use other fabrics and leather, depending on the design the customer chooses and the one that would best match the design we create.”

CHALLENGES: Like many traditional crafts, the profession of khayamiya is facing challenges that may threaten its existence, however. Both craftsmen expressed concerns over the future of the craft.

“The new generations do not have enough patience to learn this craft, and the uncertainty of tourist numbers greatly affects the demand for our products,” Suleiman lamented. “I feel sad to see this craft slowly dwindling. I hope we can find a way to preserve it and pass it on to future generations.”

He is not the only one fearing for the demise of the profession, and there have been efforts to revive it and to train new craftsmen.

Deep inside his workshop, where an aura of the past beautifully mixes with that of the present, Hani Abdel-Fattah, a member of a family long involved in the art of tent-making, sits beside the object of his passion, telling us a love story that has lasted for 35 years.

His eyes glowing with enthusiasm, he talks about the ancient art, which, he worries, could disappear in future years. “I feel it’s my duty to preserve this heritage and to pass on my experience to future generations,” Abdel-Fattah said.

This passionate craftsman thus decided to provide apprenticeships for young khayamiya artists and has participated in international workshops with others who were “impressed by the beauty and uniqueness of khayamiya.”

“People from many nationalities have been very impressed by the art of khayamiya,” Abdel-Fattah said. “They have learned a lot about the technique so that they can also apply it to other handicrafts. I would like to see this art developing and reaching out to countries all over the world.”

But is khayamiya an art or craft? Abdel-Fattah has a different definition.

“Khayamiya is much more than that: it’s a story told with a needle, thread, and colour,” he maintained. “It is an art that requires patience, time, and skill, but the end result is worth all the effort. A person may take from six months to a year of training to be able to produce a professional product.”

Abdel-Fattah said he was “satisfied and enjoyed making every single piece” he makes. “All my work is close to my heart, and I take great joy in finding ideas for the drawings, which are mostly inspired by nature,” he added, pointing to a picture that was hanging on the wall and combined elements of nature with imagination. 

“Every design I make carries a part of my soul, and my ideas are inspired by nature and folklore.” 

Abdel-Fattah stressed the importance of exhibitions in displaying work to the public. “There are still many difficulties facing such exhibitions, and I would like to see them organised more regularly. My dream is to see Egyptian khayamiya become a top-notch global product, while remaining part and parcel of our cultural identity over the years.” 

There was almost a consensus among the artists who talked to the Weekly that the younger generation should try to preserve their authentic heritage and traditional handicrafts and work hard to revive such ancient craftsmanship.

HISTORY: The evolution of the art of khayamiya and making decorated tents has been a subject of interest to the State Information Service (SIS), which has tracked the history of the craft.

According to the SIS, khayamiya is one of the traditional crafts associated with the historic city of Cairo, and its evolution has gone through many historical stages from Pharaonic times to the present date.

Some researchers believe that the art of tent-making dates back to the era of building the Pyramids. Tents, they say, were used as shields from the sun, and they were also made for the pharaohs to use on their travels. 

Some historians suggest that tent-making techniques and cloth decorations were also used in the manufacture of flags and banners in processions and for religious and national celebrations.

The 19th-century French Egyptologist Gaston Maspero, author of a book entitled The Royal Mummies of Deir Al-Bahari (1889), says that leather was discovered in the Deir Al-Bahari mummy cache in Upper Egypt dating back to the ancient Egyptian 21st Dynasty.

During the Greek and Roman eras in Egypt, tents were used for military purposes. They were of an oval shape and were lined with silk and fur.

The art of tent-making has also been used for making ribbons and motifs of different shapes and sizes, sometimes decorated with flowers, plant motifs, and simple geometric shapes, all sewn in different colours.

During the Byzantine period, Coptic artists excelled in making tents using a different style and employing ribbons of a thin fabric containing decorative units and motifs of different shapes including circular, oval, square, and rectangular. Inside these motifs were images of prophets and angels surrounded by geometric frames. 

The tent-making industry flourished and reached a high level of sophistication before the Arab conquest of Egypt in the seventh century CE. Later products were inspired by the spirit of Islam, which meant being decorated with calligraphy featuring the names of God, the Prophet Mohamed, and the first four caliphs, as well as religious phrases and Quranic verses. 

It was in the Islamic era that the art of khayamiya reached its peak. It was particularly during the Mameluke era that the industry prospered as it greatly appealed to the Mameluke princes who competed to purchase pieces of this art. 

During the rule of Mohamed Ali in the early 19th century, Westernisation took its toll on eastern culture, reaching a peak under the khedive Ismail when many traditional handicrafts were marginalised in the alleyways of Islamic Cairo.

Because many of Egypt’s traditional handicrafts still do not receive the attention they deserve, President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi has sponsored the Turathuna (Our Heritage) Exhibition, which serves as a window on the creativity of Egyptian craftsmen and provides them with a platform to display their arts and crafts. 

It is testimony to the state’s interest in reviving traditional arts and crafts by encouraging new generations of craftsmen and artists to revive the country’s heritage.

The Our Heritage Exhibition is the largest such annual event organised in Egypt, and craftsmen and skilled specialists in handicrafts and heritage gather from different governorates and from diverse backgrounds in order to display thousands of unique pieces of art inspired by Egyptian heritage. 

These handicrafts include accessories, antiques, textiles, decorations and crafts that all have aesthetic value and sophistication. The exhibition not only targets the local market, but also aims to open the international market to artists to export their unique handicrafts. 

It also offers an exceptional venue for visitors wanting to buy handicrafts at competitive prices.

This year, the National Enterprise Development Authority (NEDA) is preparing to launch the Turathuna Exhibition for 2024. Bassel Rahmi, CEO of the NEDA, announced at the end of August that the door was open for artists and the creators of handicrafts and heritage projects to participate in the Sixth Our Heritage Exhibition from 12 to 21 December.

He said that “for the first time since the start of the exhibition, participants are able to apply electronically, which has allowed a larger number of exhibitors to participate.”

He added that the “participants will enjoy great facilities to display their works, especially those coming from the border governorates. The exhibition will also be a good opportunity for small entrepreneurs who have introduced their businesses into the formal sector of the economy, or are in the process of doing so, as part of the state’s plan is to encourage and support the informal sector and integrate it into the formal sector.”

 “The exhibition will encourage craftsmen having small enterprises in the informal sector to tap larger markets.” 

“The Our Heritage Exhibition is a major forum for creativity, where craftsmen and the owners of small workshops from all over Egypt can join in to display their heritage-inspired works using distinctive display methods to thousands of visitors and art-lover,” Rahmi concluded. 

It will be an important opportunity for those who love khayamiya, both craftsmen and clients.

HANDICRAFTS PROGRAMME: Turathuna is not the only government initiative to encourage handicrafts and save traditional ones from extinction.

At the beginning of 2024, the Ministry of Social Solidarity launched its Herafi (Handicraft) Programme to support small manufacturers of handicrafts and heritage products. The project is a part of the state policy to support the informal sector and irregular employment, in cooperation with the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) and a number of Egyptian banks.

Nevine Al-Qabbaj, Minister of Social Solidarity, said that the programme targets members of NGOs, working families, and small entrepreneurs, providing them with the necessary tools to promote their businesses as part of the presidential initiative to support irregular employment.

The initiative facilitates the establishment of microenterprises, financing at reduced interest rates, training on small project management, and participation in exhibitions and various marketing platforms. It also trains young entrepreneurs on how to price and improve the quality of their handicrafts and aims to include them in state social protection programmes.

“The aim of these mechanisms is to upgrade the handicrafts and heritage sector,” Al-Qabbaj said. “They are implemented within the larger framework of an integrated vision to promote the state’s soft power and maximise the gains of the informal sector. This can contribute to the growth of the national economy either by promoting exports and/or providing job opportunities, particularly for women.”

In the same vein, Hamada Al-Adli, head of the Chamber of Handicrafts at the Federation of Egyptian Industries, agreed that the handicrafts industry is one of the most important for the development of Egypt’s economy, as it contributes significantly to promoting economic growth through employment in industries in some cases dating back to ancient times.

* A version of this article appears in print in the 31 October, 2024 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly