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The winner is Mr. AMIT MEHROTRA
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The winner of December 2009 prize draw is Mr. AMIT MEHROTRA, TUI India client who has taken his tour in Egypt during December 2009.
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The winners are Mr. Johnny and Ms. Debra Davidson
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The winner of June 2009 Guest Comments draw are Mr. Johnny and Ms. Debra Davidson, Central Holidays clients who have taken their tour in Egypt during April 2009
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STI celebrates its 30th Anniversary
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On the occasion of its 30th anniversary, Sakkara Travel Group international affiliate STI (Sakkara Tours International) will be celebrating ...
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Home > Sakkara Tours > Special Interest Tours & Themes >
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What is surprising about Egyptian arts & crafts is not their rapid development, but rather their ability to protect the past and thrive with relatively little change.
Away from tourism’s focus, ageless crafts are undergoing a renaissance of their own in small villages, at the hands of descendants of the pharaohs. These products are displayed in Cairo’s galleries or at annual Private Exhibits that sponsor the preservation and promotion of the people and their crafts. |
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Nubia, reputed for its distinctive architecture, also boasts unique ethnic crafts typified in basket weaving made from date and palm tree leaves, displaying exotic spices, capturing both the sense of sight and of smell. A few kilometers from Luxor can be found the glazed gray & blue products of the pottery-makers of Garagos; further north, Nagada inhabitants weave silk fibers into exquisite scarves, clothing and decorative items; Hagaza has rekindled its village woodcrafts into useful and ornamental objects with Pharaonic and Coptic designs; while the Village of Akhmim still uses age-old looms to weave linen and cotton fabrics similar to those of their ancestors and embroider naïf scenes of their daily life in colorful wall-hanging needlecrafts. In Sinai and in many desert oases, Bedouin’s cross-stitched embellished clothes or tightly knotted kilims made of camel, goat or sheep wool, are displayed in small oasis museums. |
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In Cairo can be found the more familiar traditional silk and wool tapestries of the Harrania Village, or the revived pottery center of Fostat; while recycling centers in less affluent areas are producing a variety of useful items that help the community and the environment. |
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Egyptian Folklore
On the other hand, Folklore is very much in the tourism spotlight. Each region has its distinct dancing routines and characteristic costumes. Popular regional folkloric activities include Saïdi dances, energetic and earthy Upper-Egyptian rhythms, Baladi dances, Cairo and Alexandria’s slightly more liberal and flirtatious style, and Fellahin dances with quick and light farmers’ tempo that contain some vocals. Away from nightclubs, belly dancing is the art of oriental dance, with a historical structure and authentic roots going back to the Pharaohs; its folkloric aspects brought to the stage charming theatrical versions of age-old folk dances passed down through the generations. Sufi-style music and dance is a form of religious meditation at religious festivities, rather than folklore. The commercial side is commonly called Tannoura or Twirling Dervishes, while real Sufi celebrations can be seen at culture-oriented locations. |
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