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Al-Ahram Weekly 18 - 24 March 1999 Issue No. 421 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 18 - 24 March 1999 Issue No. 421
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Profile Features Travel Living Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters
Vessels adrift
THE FUTURE of Cairo's potters hangs in the balance between the decisions of the Cairo Governorate and the concerns of the General Organisation of Cultural Palaces (GOCP). The quandary is eloquently illustrated by the fact that, while the GOCP is holding the First Symposium on Pottery in Qena, the Cairo Governorate has announced that the potters' quarter in Old Cairo, Al-Fawakhir, is to be relocated to the industrial zone of Shiqq Al-Ti'ban."It [the governorate decision] is very sad, because Al-Fawakhir in Old Cairo dates back not only to the Islamic era, but to the Ptolemaic period. Since ancient times, it has been known that this area produces the best pottery," Mustafa El-Razzaz, head of the GOCP, told Al-Ahram Weekly.
Within the same week, Qadri Abu Hasib, assistant to the Cairo governor for the southern sector of the city, has announced that a plan to move 400 clay and lime workshops would take effect at once. He added that workshop owners would be compensated with 500-metre plots in the Shiqq Al-Ti'ban area. The decision comes within the framework of plans to increase the width of the Ain Sira road where it intersects with Salah Salem, and beautify the area. El-Razzaz described the decision as "the obliteration of a great heritage".
The GOCP, for its part, is sponsoring the First Symposium on Pottery from 14 to 28 March in Qena. "It has taken us six months to organise the event and we chose Qena because it is a governorate well-known for its high-quality pottery," explained El-Razzaz.
The symposium follows the International Symposium for Sculpture in Hard Rocks held three years ago in Aswan. This year's event, organised by a committee headed by renowned artist Mohieddin Hussein, includes the participation of 10 prominent artists who will spend 15 days at a potters' area in Qena.
According to El-Razzaz, the purpose of the symposium is twofold: on one hand, it aims to give younger potters the opportunity to relate to their heritage and learn from the artisans on site, while on the other, it will expose the Qena artisans to new ideas.
photo: Sherif Sonbol
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