Thursday, October 3, 2019

Khayamiya

Khayamiya is an Egyptian textile art, once used to make elaborate tents, which is why you buy it in Cairo's Tentmakers' Street.

Now these artisans mostly make quilts and cushions for sale to tourists, and the decline in tourism since the revolution has hit them hard.

The old style was entirely geometric, but these days representation is common, including political scenes like this depiction of the Tahrir Square protests.

With tourism drying up Egyptian merchants are trying to sell these online, but so far that hasn't replaced sales to visitors who want something to remember Egypt by.

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