The wonderful, old ‘khayamiya’, the art of tent-making, is endangered. It’s most famous location is Khayamiya street, situated at the end of Moez Street, north of Bab Zuweila.
Regarding its origins and history in Egypt, Hassan Qadry, who specializes in the craft, says: “The origins of the art of khayamiya lie in the making of the cover for the Kaaba, known as Kiswa, which used to be made in Egypt. Decorated tents were also made for Arab kings, and the art then developed into other textiles. Tent-making has been present in this area for a very long time, as well as in al-Khoronfosh area in Bab al-Shaariya district.”
“Although the craft is also found in Saudi Arabia, Morocco and Colombia, Egypt is the only country that has one street where all the craftsmen are gathered,” adds Qadry.
Raised in al-Darb al-Ahmar, Qadry was able to witness all of the industries and arts, but khayamiya was the one he preferred to take as his craft. “After I earned my bachelor's degree in trade, I worked as an accountant in several companies but I did not feel comfortable. I always thought of my own business, especially khayamiya. I left my job and worked in a workshop for a while, before I established my own workshop.”
“Khayamiya’s tools are simple. Unfortunately, half of them are not found in Egypt,” he says. “We have needles here in Egypt, but we import al-kostban from Germany and France, because the Egyptian one gets damaged quickly. In addition, we also use textiles.”
Even though khayamiya is an old craft, Qadry believes it can be developed. “We always work using the Islamic and Pharaonic styles, but we try to develop the product. We have to do it, or our work will disappear. Khayamiya can now be found in clothes, gowns and laptop and tablet covers.”
“Most craftsmen have abandoned the craft due to the fluctuating market and recession in tourism. Tourists like these crafts, but also Egyptians recently started to ask for it. I really wish it wasn't endangered, because is is an expression of Egypt’s spirit. Therefore, we have established a trade union for heritage craft workers, in order to preserve those professions.”
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
