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Sand and threadCraftConcept · on request

The looms of Naqada

A hand loom on the west bank north of Luxor, and a craft UNESCO lists as in urgent need of safeguarding.

Where
Naqada, north of Luxor
Proposed length
Half day
Nerve
Nerve: Curious
An Egyptian hand loom strung with its warp threads, in a workshop, in a photograph from 2017.
2020 the year UNESCO listed Upper Egypt's hand weaving as needing urgent safeguarding. Source

The story

In 2020 UNESCO inscribed handmade weaving in Upper Egypt on its list of intangible heritage in need of urgent safeguarding. It notes that weaving no longer pays, that a loom needs space at home, and that materials are expensive, so the craft is not passed on as it was (UNESCO).

Naqada, in Qena governorate, is known for its hand-woven shawls (Ahram Online).

Our judgement: A craft on UNESCO's urgent list survives if its makers earn from it. This puts your visit, and any purchase, with the loom.

What happens

  1. Sit beside a weaver at a hand loom and watch a shawl grow thread by thread.
  2. Learn how the loom is set up, which takes longer than the weaving.
  3. Throw the shuttle yourself for a few rows.
  4. See finished pieces and hear who still weaves, and why fewer do.

A proposed shape, not a fixed programme. The host sets the order on the day.

What it asks of you

  1. Nerve: CuriousAnyone who is curious. You sit, watch, try and ask.This experience
  2. Nerve: BoldPhysically demanding or unnerving: steep, tight, deep, hot or remote.
  3. Nerve: QualifiedA certificate is required before you start. We ask for it, and so will the operator.

Patience and a steady rhythm. No skill is assumed.

What we confirm before you go

  • A weaver or workshop that welcomes visitors, and how they are paid
  • Transport from Luxor and the time it takes
  • Whether pieces can be bought directly from the weaver

Where it fits

More in sand and thread

All of sand and thread

Ask about it

Tell us your dates and where you will be. We confirm the host, the timing and the terms before anything is booked.

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I am interested in "The looms of Naqada" (Naqada, north of Luxor). Please confirm what can be arranged, and when.

Sources and review

Reviewed on by Deluxe Trips Egypt. Facts are attributed to their sources; where we give a judgement, we say so. This page names no host, school, boat or workshop.

Photo: Ahmed Emad H, CC BY-SA 4.0