Souk al Kheiymiya

Renovations have made me focus on doing a few of those long-promised chores – like sorting and digitalizing photos from previous travels.  So here I am with a few notes from our trip to Egypt in 2004.  The main bulk of posts, the historical context that is, can be found elsewhere so that I can focus on post-2010 textile thoughts, updates & connections here.  Since we travelled, there has been something of a “revival’ of interest in the Tentmakers of Cairo, so there are plenty of sites to research if you plan to visit.

Street of Tentmakers

Deep in the old streets of Cairo not far from the Medieval gate Bab Zuweila (1092), you can find Souk al Kheiymiya, the street of Tentmakers.  I had first read about them when doing some research for our trip to Egypt and I hoped it would be possible to see their beautiful applique work.  Egypt has a long history as a textile producing country.  Clothing was important to them as was the use of linens in their mummification process.  Embellishments on tombs attest to this.  The earliest known existing applique is a canopy of leather dating from 980 BC.  Textiles made from fibre unfortunately do not often stand the rigours of time. 

Bab Zuweila & Bananas

Tents are the customary housing for Berber people who live nomadic lives.  They too had a demand for decorative tents and sought the fine applique work of the Kheiymiya souks.  Although tent making was the artisans main business, there was often occasion to produce smaller items for a ready sale to locals, travelling merchants and tourists who have visited Khan al-Khalili over its 700 year history. 

Fabrics are easily transported and light, perfect for visitors to Egypt.  They can be made to meet demand for small or large pieces.  This was the perfect solution to a tourist rush generated by Howard Carter’s discoveries in 1922.  King Tutankhamun became an immediate poster boy and skilled applique stitchers could cash in by making and selling designs from Pharaonic tombs in busy markets across Egypt. 

Men stitch in small shops in the Cairo souk as they have done since Fatimid times, making Arabic tents. Master craftsmen instruct apprentices in the art of fine applique.  Businesses are all family run.  Designs are mostly geometric in keeping with Islamic principles and are often drawn from the walls and floors of nearby mosques.  Others are completed in flowing Arabic script or show narrative Pharaonic scenes.  The chosen design is sketched on a template, which is then perforated.  Carbon powder is rubbed over the template and the design transferred to a fabric base.  Skilled needleworkers then stitch pieces of coloured fabric to the base to create a design. 

 

Sacks of Garlic

Sadly, I did not find any quality work when I visited the souk in 2004 and was unwilling to buy something just to have a piece of the tentmaker’s applique.  In hindsight, it would have been better to have sought prior recommendation.  Things have changed since then, thankfully, and a few of my friends have returned home with stunning pieces.  I am left with a piece my MIL was planning to throw out...  The stitching on that is even worse but it’s a happy reminder of our 2004 adventures. 

Jenny Bowker has provided instructions on how to find the Tentmakers.  Having lived there, she has taken a special interest in these applique craftsmen; her own award winning work being of the same technique. 

I love this Berber piece in the British Museum too. It goes to show that wonderful pieces can be found as long as you are prepared to search and take your time.  Difficult for a fleeting afternoon visit but at least it was worth it to soak up the ambiance of a traditional craft being practiced in a centuries old bazaar. 

Meeting Saladin....Again

We spent the next morning combing the forbidding fortress Citadel of Saladin, built to defend himself 1176 -1183 against the Crusaders and domestic enemies.  We had seen evidence of the spread of his empire in Delhi.  The Citadel area includes three mosques, the most famous of which is the Ottoman Muhammad ‘Ali (1828-1848), various palaces and the Well of Joseph.  The Ottoman mosque is a confection of decorated domes, alabaster and sleek minarets whilst the Harim Palace has been put to use as a well-appointed Military Museum.  Saladin had built such a successful fort that it was even used by British troops during 1882-1954.

Citadel of Saladin - fortifications from inside

Next stop was Coptic Cairo.  The churches were dark; we either couldn’t or didn’t take photos so I’m not sure which ones we visited.  The Hanging Church is built over a Roman fortress and has a roof in the shape of Noah’s Ark.  Icons and other Coptic art were quite beautiful and extraordinary.  The Church of St Segius is said to have been built over the spot where the holy family lived during their flight into Egypt. 

Old city gates leading into area near Coptic Cairo

Our next undertaking was an adventurous drive into the outer suburbs where we were shown how great blocks of marble, granite and alabaster were cut into thin slivers.  Why?  Well, Mr DIY is no ordinary tourist and by day 2, he wanted to see something a little left of mainstream.

Prayers at al-Hakim Mosque

We finished off our day with a stop on the way home to the Fatimid mosque of al-Hakim (990).  This mosque has an interesting history; one that includes being used as a prison, damaged by an earthquake, a repository for Islamic arts, a school and even a fortress for Napoleonic troops.  It was beautifully restored in 1981.  The mosque is within massive city walls and lies between Bab al-Futuh (Gate of Conquests) and Bab al-Nasr (Gate of Victory).  They certainly took security seriously back then….

Buzzing Bazzars

4-5th December 2004: Pre-Tour Tourists

We arrived to a frenzied Cairo and settled down into our hotel with a convenient mosque next door.  The muezzin’s call to prayer was our early morning summons – just what we needed to get out and about early.  We stayed at the neighbourly Salma Hotel and shopped locally for our provisions.  Getting across the main streets however required a certain lemming attitude.  Luckily for us we seemed to have rather nice policemen hold up the traffic to ensure we escaped unscathed. 

Cairo on a clear-ish day.  Don't hesitate, dive right in... 

We had a few days before our tour started, so after a quick glance at our upcoming itinerary, we jumped headlong into our own discovery of Cairo.  First stop, after a hair-raising taxi ride, was the frenzied Khan al-Khalili Bazaar, now over 700 years old.  In an instant, you can be nowhere else except Egypt.  This traditional area with its narrow maze of streets and enthusiastic shopkeepers is a bargain hunter’s paradise.  Somehow, these expert hagglers can convince you to part with your money.  We did buy a beautiful alabaster bowl. 

The bustling medieval area is divided by goods sold.  Mosques and ancient structures seem to tumble over you as you make your way through crowded streets.  I half expected to see a camel or two.  We stopped for mint tea, watching social gatherings of men smoking their shishas.  A nearby cart of exotically coloured women’s underwear seemed entirely at odds with drearily dressed shoppers – but it was selling well! 

Are we there yet?

I had to go to the street of Tentmakers, Sharia Kheiymiya.  It is sited not far from the medieval gate, Bab Zuweila (1092), the last remaining gate of Fatimid Cairo’s walls.  This gate is named after fierce Berber warriors who were charged with guarding this entrance into the city.  The Tentmakers’ applique work was interesting but I was disappointed with the quality of stitching I saw – clearly I didn’t find the best craftsmen.  On the promise of seeing quality work though, we ended up in a carpet shop….  Ah, now that’s salesmanship.  We escaped into a shawerma (kebab or meat & salad roll) café for a local bite washed down with super-strong, sweet coffee.  On the way out, a sweet seller encouraged me to take home a tray of his sugary saturated goodies.  Who could resist!

(I didn't take photos of the Tentmakers because I didn't buy from them.  That would have been bad manners in any language.  I am pleased to report that friends who have visited the Tentmakers more recently, have come back with some beautiful work. So, follow Jenny Bowker’s directions and bone up on her advice before leaving home.)