Wonderful Wednesday At Wissa Wassef

Today is Wednesday. Wonderful Wednesday.  A Wednesday full of wonder...  as  I promised my kids I would be more consistent in blogging now that I am back in Cairo (and have no more trips home planned until December), I wondered what part of my daily life friends and family would be interested in. It turned out that I had the opportunity to go with some friends who have family in town to one of my favorite places today...Wissa Wassef Art Center.  I also made my first trip to Fagnoon Art Center!  (Notice I said my FIRST trip-I will go back!)  Let me begin with the trip to Wissa Wassef. This began as an experiment  in weaving tapestry to encourage the creativity of village children by a man named Ramses Wissa Wassef. These were children without a formal education and no art training. SInce 1952 two generations of weaver have created beautiful tapestries that are collected by galleries and museums around the world. 

One would not expect to find such a treasure as Wissa Wassef off of a narrow paved road that runs along side a trash lined  irrigation canal. You have to maneuver past men with donkey carts loaded with the day’s produce, past the man who sells baked sweet potatoes, and the villagers grouped on the side of the road waiting for a mini bus.  We turn down a short dirt road and along a rock wall before coming to a gate where the gate keeper signals Ikram Nosshi that guests have arrived. 

Ikram is a friendly, welcoming host, son-in-law of Ramses Wissa Wassef, who speaks very good English and who was delightful to listen to as he told us the story and history of Wissa Wassef. We toured the museum housing the progressive works of the first students. Each tapestry tells a story, sometimes the life of the weaver, her hurts and her joys woven into the warp and weft of each piece.  Village life, flora and fauna are typical themes depicting in some cases, original farming and fishing practices which are from a bygone era. 

The wool comes from local Egyptian sheep; their wool does not contain the oils sheep produce in cooler climes. The dyes are grown and harvested on site-a rainbow of hues produced in nature and perfectly paired with the local wool to produce gorgeous colorfast yarns.  Cotton thread is also used to create very detailed tapestries. The cotton is of course, Egyptian and the colors are organic and natural as well!


While we were watching the artists work, two ladies came out of a studio with tapestries under their arms. They had just finished their work and were coming out to display it for all the artists to see. At Wissa Wassef they all celebrate when an artist's work is completed with a small ceremony. At our request, they unrolled their work and laid it on the ground for us to see. As we gasped that they would lay such a treasure in the DIRT, Ikram explained that to them,  it was only the earth, not dirt, so not to worry~!

Turkey Coop in the foreground
Domed Museum in the background

The site consists of a home; an information center where newer works are displayed and for sale; workshops in a structure created to resemble a small village with narrow passage ways, a city square and community meeting places; fields for growing their dyes; a museum converted from old domed adobe chicken coups, and a gift shop. It is located conveniently on the Sakkara Road. 

Tapestries on Display

The weaving is done on one of two types of looms, either a simple or a complex loom. Most of the wool weavings are done on the upright simple looms and the cotton ones are done on the complex loom. In both cases the artists weave tapestries that hang either horizontally or vertically. When weaving a tapestry that hangs vertically, the artist is actually weaving the theme sideways, because regardless of the way it hangs, it is woven on the horizontal. We are talking about thinking in several dimensions! It is amazing~!

Wissa Wassef is truly a diamond in the rough. You have only to enter the gates to be amazed and inspired and welcomed as friends.