An Egyptian village invades the .world
Mubarak found her name in the Elysee Palace.
In December 1987, former President Hosni Mubarak visited France and held talks with the late French President Francois Mitterrand at the Elysee Palace in tParis’scapital,
While Mubarak toured the palace accompanied by the French President, he stumbled upon a silk carpet in the palace walls. He was surprised as he discovered that the carpet was made in Egypt, and the place of its production was written on it: “Woven in the village of Abu Shaara in Egypt.”
Mubarak decided at the time to visit the village upon his arrival in Egypt. Upon his arrival at Cairo airport, a helicopter landed in the village to inspect its factories, meet its men, youth and workers, and order that all obstacles that hinder their work be removed.
The small Egyptian village specialized in the manufacture of silk carpets, and it is currently ranked second in the world in its production. Its reputation spread across the Arab world and internationally until it became a kiss for my lovers and those who wish to own this type of carpet.
The village is located 60 kilometres north of Cairo. It belongs to the city of Ashmoun in the Menoufia governorate and is distinguished by its location on the Nile branch that connects to Damietta. This name has named since the year 1805 as Imam Ahmed Shaarani, who is buried with his son in the village.
About 50 thousand people reside in the village. According to Khater Salah, one of its sons, 80% of its residents work in the production and export of carpets, adding that the village has about 20 factories. Each factory has between 15 and 20 looms (nulas), and every house in the village has one or two looms (nulas) for the carpet industry.
Khater added that the village had specialized in this profession since the middle of the twentieth century when residents used to obtain silk imported from China, twist and dye it, then weave it as carpets, and sell it to major merchants village’s people for export abroad.
The price of a kilo of natural silk currently imported from China is about 1,200 pounds, and one carpet of it is sold at about 60 thousand pounds. It is exported to European countries, especially France, the Gulf countries, Morocco and some Latin American countries.
The village currently produces two types of carpets: the first of pure silk, and the second of silk mixed with cotton in all designs and colours, and both types are sold and exported abroad, and Khater notes that the village’s production made it occupies the second place in the world in the carpet industry, and it became the capital of the hand-made carpet industry in the Middle East. And its carpets are preserved in the presidential palaces, monuments and museums of the world.
The village’s products are marketed through international exhibitions and major marketing companies, sending delegates to view the products and contract large quantities.
And just as there is no unemployment in it. Rather, children learn from their families this industry from an early age, and after completing their education, they continue to work with it, upon joining the factories in the village and working on a special loom in their home, and some of them grow their production, increase their ambition and establish a private factory with it,
The village people still dream of reaching the first place in the world and becoming the name of their village in every palace, museum, and house in all parts of the world.