December 31, 2018
Our dahabeya Aida docked this morning at the island of Fares. We were going to see a local craftsman, the last crate maker in Upper (southern) Egypt. Transportation to the crate maker’s home was via “tuk-tuk,” two passengers per vehicle!
We bumped and jostled along the dusty roads of Fares village, observing our surroundings through fringed open sides.
We could peek at our driver through a heart-shaped cut in the material in front of us.
Our little caravan of tuk-tuks finally arrived at the crate maker’s home and were taken around to the back of the house.
We saw piles of date palm reeds, the raw material of the hand-made crates, which were stacked up behind the craftsman’s work space.
The crate maker’s work space
Mohammed (the crate maker – not to be confused with our guide of the same name!) has his reeds shipped to him from elsewhere, from mature date palms (at least a year old). The reeds have to be dried but no longer than 20 days. The dried reeds are strong, yet pliable for splitting and cutting holes in them.
One of the crate maker’s assistants
Mohammed could not stop his work as he talked to us – he was working on an order for 20,000 crates to hold mangoes, which are grown in this area. These will be shipped to Cairo, and some of them exported. The crates can be different sizes and last 7-10 years.
Mohammed himself is 58 and has been doing this work for over 40 years. We asked if his children are learning this craft. He told us his children are in school – he doesn’t want them to learn the craft, which taxes the body and presumably doesn’t pay very well.
First, he cuts the reeds into the lengths needed.
Mohammed uses pieces that have already been cut at the correct length to measure other pieces.
He then cuts the section of reed lengthwise with a scythe, which requires great precision.
Mohammed uses both his hands and his feet to make the crates. Machines cannot do this job with the same precision. People who practice this craft don’t stay in it long, due to the position of their body, sitting on the ground for long periods, which is why it is a dying craft.
Mohammed steadies the section of reed while he uses a large nail and makeshift hammer to cut holes along its length.
As he works, he answers our questions which are translated by our guide Mohamed.
However, he does have assistants, so between them they can produce 5 million crates a year. He himself makes 150 crates a week.
An assistant awaits instructions against a backdrop of date palms.
Mohammed could not stop his work as he talked to us – he was working on an order for 20,000 crates to hold mangoes, which are grown in this area. These will be shipped to Cairo, and some of them exported. The crates can be different sizes and last 7-10 years.
Sample of one of Mohammed’s more elaborate creations, which was passed around among us.
Mohammed uses both his hands and his feet to make the crates. Machines cannot do this job with the same precision. People who practice this craft don’t stay in it long, due to the position of their body, sitting on the ground for long periods, which is why it is a dying craft.
As he works, he answers our questions which are translated by our guide Mohamed.
Mohammed himself is 58 and has been doing this work for over 40 years. We asked if his children are learning this craft. He told us his children are in school – he doesn’t want them to learn the craft, which taxes the body and presumably doesn’t pay very well.
These piles of reed sections are ready for assembling the crate – the pieces with holes drilled in them will anchor the side pieces (the narrower pieces in the other pile) that fit through the holes.
An assistant awaits instructions against a backdrop of date palms.
However, he does have assistants, so between them they can produce 5 million crates a year. He himself makes 150 crates a week. Because he was kind enough to invite us to see him at work, three women from our group became his temporary assistants!
Mohammed hands Lizz some materials…
…and shows her what to do.
Through demonstration and imitation,…
Assembling the base of the crate
…Lizz, Kathy and Michelle were able to be efficient crate producers, and with their help, Mohammed was able to finish twice as many crates in the time we were there!
The vertical pieces are fit through the holes on the horizontal pieces.
12 horizontal pieces and 4 vertical pieces form the frame.
They’re almost finished as Mohammed fits in the bottom cross pieces.
Michelle takes over to help make the next crate.
Michelle slides a horizontal piece through two verticals to construct the frame.
Photo op! Mohammed will not actually have Michelle make the lengthwise cut!
Michelle helps finish a frame.
A small crate with a handle was given to Lizz as a gift for being a great assistant! Everyone was given an ankh made of date palm reeds.
Kathy was the last volunteer.
Kathy hammers a length of vertical piece into a hole.
Two of the finished crates!
We thanked the craftsman and his assistants and family and said good-bye, then we headed back to our tuk-tuks for the ride back to where Aida was moored. As we approached the pier on the river, I saw a snake handler with several cobras! (Fortunately, we were some distance away; I took this photo with my telephoto lens!)
Wanderlust & Wonderment 