 The Appliqué craft in Egypt has a venerable history. It
was brought to Egypt centuries ago and today is practiced
by the tentmakers found on Kheiymiya
Street, south of Bab
Zweila in Cairo. They skillfully work their traditionally practiced craft, inspirited by the appliqué work that once decorated the interiors of
nomadic Arabic tents. Today these craftsmen understand the decline in demand for tents in the modern Arab
world, so instead, they use their skills more for household
decorative items. The colors they use are brilliant and the Islamic,
pharaonic and other motifs make them ideal souvenirs to take home.
Appliqué is a French word, which was brought to Egypt when
Napoleon conquered Egypt in the 18th century. Basically, it
employs the use of patches of colored fabrics sewn over a
background fabric to produce designs and scenes. This form of craft is distinct from what is
 known as patch
work, which is usually used to repair a damaged fabric by
superimposing pieces over ruined areas.
The Appliqué craft has been battling to survive in most of the neighboring Arab countries. Many have lost their ancestral taste for designing and they often commission Egyptians to make and export household items for them. Most of the craftsmen in Egypt are located
on Kheiymiya Street, which was built in 1650, though Bab
Zweila was built by the Fatimids in 1092. During the
Ottoman
period, the doors were called Bab El-Metwalli, after a local saint known for his healing powers.
It is known as the city’s only surviving covered market, and
it is one of those streets that are so very interesting to take a walk
down its narrow alley that has shops on either of its sides.
In the shop windows are displayed the handmade cotton appliqué work, from pillow cases to bedspreads,
with cushions, quilts and, of course, tents.
 “This is my grandfather’s craft, I inherited it from him,” said Mohamed Kamel Youssef, a tentmaker. “I started
learning appliqué work at the age of 12. It was a hard task to learn in the beginning but within a couple of months
one can become a professional,” he added.
“While the actual work is not difficult to learn, one
must first have a talent for drawing and design. The hard part
is creating new designs. Then you have to draw these
designs you created on the fabric. The artist makes tiny holes on the outline of the design, or he draws around the pattern with a piece of charcoal. Next you cut out the patterns in different colors and stitch them creating the adorable pieces around you",
states Youssef, as he points out the fabrics hanging about his
shop.
 “Most of the designs have an Islamic
motif, inspired from the mosaics that decorate the mosques around us, yet we still try to mix tastes. The tourists that come usually ask for Pharaonic, birds, peasants and folkloric designs. That’s why we have to invent new styles to keep our craft alive.”
The current economic recession has badly affected the craftsmen of Kheiymiya. “We are starting to become
extinct. We are the only ones left who practice this craft,” said Youssef. There is a lack of demand in modern Egypt
for such work. The Egyptians no longer decorate their homes with
these fabrics. They now prefer to decorate in a Western fashion.
“The country doesn’t encourage this kind of craft. For example, any tourism program includes a visit to
Khan el-Khalili,
but none of them come to Bab
Zweila. When you think about it, you
realize that the foreigners are the ones who really appreciate the work, not the Egyptians,” added Youssef.
Actually, visiting the street of the tentmakers is an
interesting walk. If one is not opposed to a little exercise,
walking from the Khan el-Khalili to the Citadel leads past
these shops, and others, providing tourists with a nice
journey through Islamic Cairo.
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