• An Egyptian worker sorts clay pots to dry before displaying them for sale at one of the traditional pottery workshops in Old Cairo, Egypt. All photos: Khaled Elfiqi / EPA
    An Egyptian worker sorts clay pots to dry before displaying them for sale at one of the traditional pottery workshops in Old Cairo, Egypt. All photos: Khaled Elfiqi / EPA
  • An Egyptian potter shapes a clay ornament at one of the traditional pottery workshops, in Old Cairo, Egypt.
    An Egyptian potter shapes a clay ornament at one of the traditional pottery workshops, in Old Cairo, Egypt.
  • According to the owners of the workshop, they use clay brought from Aswan in upper Egypt (1,000km south of Cairo).
    According to the owners of the workshop, they use clay brought from Aswan in upper Egypt (1,000km south of Cairo).
  • The price of the clay pots varies between 20 to 2,000 Egyptian pounds ($1.20 to $120, Dh4.4 to Dh440) depending on the size and craftsmanship of the item.
    The price of the clay pots varies between 20 to 2,000 Egyptian pounds ($1.20 to $120, Dh4.4 to Dh440) depending on the size and craftsmanship of the item.
  • Children sort clay pieces to dry outside one of the traditional pottery workshops in Old Cairo, Egypt.
    Children sort clay pieces to dry outside one of the traditional pottery workshops in Old Cairo, Egypt.
  • An Egyptian worker shapes a clay ornament at one of the traditional pottery workshops, in old Cairo, Egypt.
    An Egyptian worker shapes a clay ornament at one of the traditional pottery workshops, in old Cairo, Egypt.
  • An Egyptian worker shapes a clay ornament at one of the traditional pottery workshops, in Old Cairo, Egypt.
    An Egyptian worker shapes a clay ornament at one of the traditional pottery workshops, in Old Cairo, Egypt.
  • An Egyptian worker shapes a clay ornament at one of the traditional pottery workshops, in Old Cairo, Egypt.
    An Egyptian worker shapes a clay ornament at one of the traditional pottery workshops, in Old Cairo, Egypt.
  • An Egyptian worker sorts clay pots to dry before displaying them for sale at one of the traditional pottery workshops, in Old Cairo, Egypt.
    An Egyptian worker sorts clay pots to dry before displaying them for sale at one of the traditional pottery workshops, in Old Cairo, Egypt.
  • An Egyptian worker carries clay pots to be dried before displaying them for sale.
    An Egyptian worker carries clay pots to be dried before displaying them for sale.
  • An Egyptian potter shapes a clay pot at one of the traditional pottery workshops, in Old Cairo, Egypt.
    An Egyptian potter shapes a clay pot at one of the traditional pottery workshops, in Old Cairo, Egypt.
  • An Egyptian potter shapes a clay ornament.
    An Egyptian potter shapes a clay ornament.
  • An Egyptian worker puts the wood inside a traditional oven at a pottery workshop.
    An Egyptian worker puts the wood inside a traditional oven at a pottery workshop.
  • An Egyptian worker shapes a clay ornament at a pottery workshop.
    An Egyptian worker shapes a clay ornament at a pottery workshop.
  • An Egyptian worker puts the wood inside a traditional oven at a pottery workshop in Old Cairo, Egypt.
    An Egyptian worker puts the wood inside a traditional oven at a pottery workshop in Old Cairo, Egypt.
  • An Egyptian potter shapes a clay ornament at a pottery workshop, in Old Cairo.
    An Egyptian potter shapes a clay ornament at a pottery workshop, in Old Cairo.
  • An Egyptian potter shapes a clay ornament at a pottery workshop, in Old Cairo.
    An Egyptian potter shapes a clay ornament at a pottery workshop, in Old Cairo.

The tradition of clay pottery is alive in Old Cairo – in pictures

The pots sell from $1 to $100, depending on size and craftsmanship

Nyree McFarlane

September 03, 2019

  • English
  • Arabic

Old Cairo is a part of the Egyptian capital that predates most of the city that surrounds it.

The ancient area that hugs the Nile is smack bang in the centre of Cairo's heart, and was founded in the 10th century. It was the nerve centre of the Islamic world for a long time, with its importance peaking in the 14th century.

Today, many ancient traditions carry on in this part of the city, including, as pictured above, clay pottery.

The clay used in the traditional workshops is sourced from Aswan, which is about 1,000 kilometres south of Cairo. In the past, the city's quarries provided the granite for so many of ancient Egypt's prominent sculptures.

The price of the clay pots produced at the workshops in Cairo today varies from 20 to 2,000 Egyptian pounds ($1.20 to $120, or Dh4.4 to Dh440) depending on the size and craftsmanship of the item.

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