From Hands Far Away

The oasis of Siwa is not close to Giza or Cairo. In fact, it's a good (or bad..depending on the weather and luck) nine hour drive from the Big Mango. It's an oasis in the Qattara depression near Libya where the inhabitants are mostly Berber, speak their own language and have their particular crafts. They find a good market for the embroidery of the women in the craft shops of Cairo, however. Siwan embroidery is bold and unusual, using oranges, reds, and shell buttons in it. This shirt, from a shop in Maadi, is a good example.