Meet Some Of The Last Papyrus Makers In Egypt Keeping A 5,000-Year-Old Craft Alive | Still Standing
Business Insider・2 minutes read
Atef Muhammad Shahita harvests papyrus in El Caramos, Egypt, with a detailed process to make paper. The papyrus art market in Egypt faces challenges due to a decline in tourism, impacting artists like Saeed who are striving to sustain their businesses.
Insights
- Papyrus, an ancient Egyptian paper-making material, is harvested by Atef Muhammad Shahita in El Caramos, Egypt, through a labor-intensive process involving soaking, compressing, and drying the plant to create paper, showcasing a traditional craft that has endured for centuries.
- Saeed, an artist in El Caramos, Egypt, faces economic challenges due to decreased demand for papyrus art resulting from a decline in tourism post the Arab Spring and the pandemic, highlighting the vulnerability of local artisans to external factors beyond their control and the importance of tourism in sustaining traditional crafts.
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Recent questions
What is the traditional process of making papyrus paper?
Atef Muhammad Shahita harvests papyrus by hand, cuts it into strips, soaks them in hot water with potassium hydrate, compresses them, and dries them between cardboard sheets.
When was papyrus paper invented and where was it revived?
Papyrus paper was invented over 5,000 years ago in Egypt and was revived in the 1970s in El Caramos.
How has the demand for papyrus art been affected recently?
The demand for papyrus art significantly decreased after the decline in tourism post the Arab Spring in 2011 and further impacted by the pandemic.
How has the artist Saeed adapted to the decrease in demand for papyrus art?
Saeed, an artist, has resorted to working from home to keep his business afloat due to the decreased demand for papyrus art.
What is the hope for the future of the papyrus art market?
The hope for the future of the papyrus art market lies in a recovery of Egypt's tourism industry, which could potentially revive the demand for papyrus art.
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Summary
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Reviving Ancient Papyrus Art in Egypt
- Atef Muhammad Shahita, in El Caramos, Egypt, harvests papyrus by hand from his one-acre land, taking two hours to do so. The plant takes a year to grow to harvestable size and regrows in one to two months. Workers at his workshop cut the papyrus into strips, soak them in hot water with potassium hydrate, layer them vertically and horizontally, compress them, and dry them between cardboard sheets to make paper.
- Papyrus paper, invented by Egyptians over 5,000 years ago, was revived in the 1970s in El Caramos, becoming a local economic center. However, after a decline in tourism post the Arab Spring in 2011 and further impacted by the pandemic, the demand for papyrus art decreased significantly. Saeed, an artist, struggles to find a market, resorting to working from home to keep his business afloat, with hopes for a recovery in Egypt's tourism industry to revive the papyrus art market.
