Four hundred and sixty kilometres away from Cairo, in the heart of one of the most ancient cities of Egypt, citizens of Akhmim, in Sohag governorate, dedicate their lives to creating a unique type of art by making handmade loom.
In the city that is known for its inheritance of pharaonic legacy, artisans spend their lives capturing the beauty of nature, documenting it through embroidering cloths, bed sheets, carpets, and wall portraits.
Akhmim is one of Upper Egypt’s cities, where most of the citizens earn their living from making handmade products.
With colourful threads and crossed knots, women mainly portray scenes from the clear surrounding nature, introducing the world to an unfamiliar image of Egypt’s art.
Loom workshops are the main workplaces in Akhmim. Several producing families deal with shops that are responsible for marketing their products in major cities and exporting them abroad, like Fair Trade Egypt.
The time consumed in producing each product differs depending on size and embroidery. However, they can take from just a single day to months of work.
Since the price hikes witnessed in Egypt, the productivity of handmade artisans has been jeopardised. The time and effort consumed in each product leads to further increases in their prices, which according to workers, is not met with understanding and acceptance from customers.
All photos taken by Ahmed Dream
