This is the fascinating history of Khayamiya - a lavishly decorative textile art that was originally used for tents, palace interiors and ceremonial pavilions and one that continues in the bustling market of Sharia Khayamiya or, as we know it, the 'Street of the Tentmakers', where skilled artisans continue to create dazzlingly intricate and colourful stitched panels, that have evolved into wall hangings and other cherished collector's items now often made for the tourist industry. We need to be reminded that embroidery and the textile arts not only serve aesthetic and functional purposes, but are also the profound carriers of cultural heritage.  These panels, cushions, cloths or spreads are not relics of the past but the embodiment of a living practice that has an enduring power.

Show Notes: https://stitchsafari.com/khayamiya-the-tentmakers-of-cairo/