In the Egyptian village of Saqqara ... the students are the secret to making handmade carpets

Private-Al-Jazeera Net

A few kilometers away from the Pyramids of Giza is the historical village of Saqqara, which takes its name from the Pyramid of Saqqara, and there the people of the village lived for decades, relying on the manufacture of hand-made carpets as a source of living and a craft passed on for generations.

Looms and silk, wool, and cotton threads are not only tools for production, but they tell their daily story, which they record through handcrafted products bearing a pharaonic nature, whose fame reached the world.

Although it is a handicraft, it has become more institutional than the rest of handicrafts in Egypt. There are eight private schools in Saqqara Village that teach handicraft making.

Youssef and his younger sister, Shahanda, loved learning about handmade carpets, where their older brother also worked in the school, and there they were educated on their hands and superior to their peers.

Youssef, Shahanda, and their colleagues did not give in to the troubles of life, they realize that a better tomorrow will knock on their doors but with effort, patience and professionalism, young are yes, but their ambitions are great, like Abdullah Omar who tries to combine government education with carpet education to achieve his dreams and aspirations.

The village has reserved a foothold in this craft and has become the focus of attention of tourists who visit the nearby archaeological sites, and the people are keen that tourists watch the production stages, especially since children are an essential part of the equation.

Abdel Aziz Sami, the owner of one of these schools, confirms that he is keen to open the doors of the school to children and adults from the village to learn the craft for free.

He explains that the village’s reliance on tourism and export abroad, especially North and South America and European countries, pointing out that the industry is facing current problems due to the high prices of raw materials after the liberalization of the pound exchange rate, so the government aspires to provide a hand to the people of Saqqara Village.