Quick answer
Khayamiya is Egyptian appliqué: shapes of coloured cotton hand-stitched onto a heavy backing to make the panels that line ceremonial tents, now also sold as wall hangings, cushion covers and quilts. It is made and sold by craftsmen in the Street of the Tentmakers, the covered market just south of Bab Zuweila in Cairo. Look for tiny, nearly invisible stitches and real layered fabric, since printed copies are common.
What is khayamiya?
Khayamiya is a Cairo appliqué craft in which shapes cut from coloured cotton are folded under at the edges and hand-stitched onto a heavy backing to build up bold geometric, floral and figurative designs. The name comes from khayma, the Arabic word for tent, because the craft's original purpose was the decorated panels that line the walls and ceilings of ceremonial pavilions.
Those pavilions are still part of Egyptian life. You will see them in Cairo streets for weddings, for funeral receptions where mourners gather to hear the Quran recited, and during Ramadan for communal meals. Today most are lined with cheaper printed fabric that imitates appliqué, while the hand-stitched panels have become collectors' pieces, wall hangings, cushion covers, bedspreads and quilts.
Designs range from Islamic geometric stars and arabesques, often copied from the ceilings and domes of Mamluk mosques, to lotus flowers and pharaonic scenes, calligraphy, birds, and lively folk images of village life.
How is a khayamiya panel made?
The design is drawn on paper, pricked along its lines and transferred to the backing with powder, then each piece of coloured cotton is cut, its edges turned under with the needle, and stitched down with tiny, closely spaced stitches. Tentmakers traditionally work sitting cross-legged on a bench in their shop, the backing across their knees, with a thimble, needle and scissors as their main tools.
The pattern transfer is an old technique called pouncing: the paper design is pierced with hundreds of small holes, laid on the backing, and dusted with chalk or charcoal so that a dotted outline is left on the cloth. The maker then builds the design up shape by shape, sometimes layering several colours, turning each edge under as he goes so no raw edge shows.
The work is slow. A cushion cover takes a skilled maker days, and a large, intricate panel can take weeks or months. The craft has traditionally been passed from father to son, and most tentmakers are men, though women now also stitch, sometimes working at home.
How old is the craft?
Appliqué has a very long history in Egypt: one of the oldest surviving examples is the funerary canopy of Isetemkheb, a leather patchwork from around 1000 BC. Made of thousands of pieces of dyed gazelle leather in red, green and yellow, it was found in the royal mummy cache at Deir el-Bahari in 1881 and has been displayed in Cairo; check its current location before you go.
Decorated tents were a sign of status for the Mamluk and Ottoman rulers of Egypt, and textile workers in Cairo produced richly ornamented hangings for royal and religious occasions. The covered market south of Bab Zuweila, built around 1650 and known as the Street of the Tentmakers, is the craft's home today; our Bab Zuweila guide covers the gate and the market building.
In recent decades the tentmakers have found a new audience among quilters around the world, who recognise the skill in their hand appliqué. Australian quilters in particular have been among their champions, organising exhibitions and inviting tentmakers to quilt shows abroad. A documentary, The Tentmakers of Cairo, has helped spread their work further.
Hand-stitched, machine-made or printed: how can you tell?
Run your fingers over it and look closely: real khayamiya has separate pieces of fabric you can feel at the edges, stitched down by hand with small, regular stitches. The street sells three kinds of work side by side, and all three can look similar at a glance.
- Printed fabric: completely flat, with no layered edges, and the pattern repeats exactly. This is the cloth used for most street tents. It is fine as a cheap tablecloth but is not khayamiya.
- Machine appliqué: the pieces are real, but their edges are covered by a visible zigzag or satin stitch. Quicker, cheaper and quite different in look.
- Hand appliqué: edges turned under neatly, with tiny stitches that are almost invisible from the front. Turn the piece over and you can see the stitch lines outlining each shape.
Within hand-stitched work, quality shows in the details: the closer and finer the stitches, the sharper the points of stars and leaves, and the smoother the curves, the better the maker. Small pieces in a design, and several layered colours, mean more hours of work.
How do you visit the Street of the Tentmakers?
Walk south through Bab Zuweila and the covered market starts almost at once, a narrow, shaded lane of small shops where the makers stitch at the front and their work hangs on every wall. Late morning on a weekday is a good time, when shops are open and the lane is quiet enough to talk. Hours vary, and some shops close on Fridays; check before making a special trip.
It combines naturally with a walk along Al-Muizz Street and a climb of the Bab Zuweila minarets. Many makers will show you their stitching and how a design is transferred, and some take commissions for custom sizes or designs, which may take weeks; agree size, colours, price and delivery in writing.
Buying in the street means buying from the people who made the work, or close to it. Prices are negotiable but are usually less inflated than in tourist showrooms, and our haggling guide will help you strike a fair deal.
What should you pay, and how do you get it home?
Price depends on size and on the fineness of the stitching; the ranges below are indicative only, for hand-stitched work at the time of writing.
| Piece | Indicative price (AUD) |
|---|---|
| Cushion cover, about 40 × 40 cm | A$30–90 |
| Medium wall panel, about 1 × 1 m | A$150–500 |
| Large, finely stitched panel or quilt top | A$600 and up |
Khayamiya is one of the easiest crafts to bring home: it folds flat, weighs little and, as cotton, raises no biosecurity concern in Australia or New Zealand. Our planned guide to bringing souvenirs home to Australia covers allowances. Hang it out of direct sunlight, which fades the dyes, and dry-clean it or wash it gently by hand in cold water, since strong colours can run.
Frequently asked questions
What does khayamiya mean?
It comes from khayma, Arabic for tent. The craftsmen are the tentmakers, and khayamiya is both their craft and the name of their street in Cairo.
Where is the Street of the Tentmakers?
Immediately south of Bab Zuweila, the southern gate of Fatimid Cairo, at the southern end of Al-Muizz Street.
How much does khayamiya cost?
As an indicative guide at the time of writing, hand-stitched cushion covers cost roughly A$30–90, and medium wall panels A$150–500. Printed fabric copies are much cheaper.
How can I tell if khayamiya is hand-stitched?
Feel for separate layers of fabric with edges turned under, and look for tiny stitches. Printed copies are flat; machine work has a visible zigzag edge.
Can I order a custom khayamiya piece?
Yes, many makers take commissions. Agree size, colours, price and delivery in writing, and allow several weeks for a large piece.
