Nagada
Weaving Community
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| Shopping Aussies in Aswan's Night Market |
Nagada is a village of loom weavers whose craft is said to predate
even the pharaohs. That was on my list too
but our busy schedule precluded a trip away from Luxor to search them out. The village is located on the left bank of
the Nile somewhere between Qena and Luxor. Until 1988, Sudan was the chief importer of
Nagada’s hand-loomed and dyed textiles.
The weavers made ferka, a scarf of cotton & rayon. Textile dyeing was undertaken in the home of the
weaver. In 1991, a Canadian
development project revived the languishing craft and taught the weavers new
skills and motifs to improve the quality of their work. Although now no longer a functioning project,
those involved went on to run a successful collaboration and business venture
called Nagada.
In a similar fashion, the
Fayoum Pottery School has promoted skills in ceramics to make them commercially
viable.
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| Nice Carpets & a Few Shisha Pipes too |
Egyptian Textile Museum
I am also pleased to note that since my trip, a Textile Museum has opened (2008) in Muezz El Din Street. The Museum’s charter is to trace Egypt’s
textile history which goes back to 6000 BC.
Linen (flax), cotton and papyrus were well known to them over successive
centuries. Quilting, it is said, can be
traced back to ancient Egypt. It was
brought back to Europe on the backs of the Crusaders who used it for comfort
under their armour. Sensible lads!
So, if you’re in the neighbourhood and into historical textiles in some way, show your support by visiting. I still find it hard to believe that the lovely Nefertari’s (1290-1254 BC) diaphanous gown wasn’t made yesterday. Would we have the skills to replicate it (by hand) today?
