Our story begins in Fowwa, a small village that sits on the western banks of the Nile Delta. Just a few decades ago, Fowwa used to be a hub for kilim weaving and home to thousands of workshops, however with a declining tourism industry and the fast spread of cheaper machine made rugs, Fowwa's main industry began to fade. Join Kiliim's initiative to put Fowwa back on the local and international map for authentic craftsmanship. #KiliimStories

Fowwa is ranked third in Egyptian Islamic cities and fourth in the world, as it's home to exactly 365 mosques, domes, and Islamic monuments; equal to the number of days in a year; allowing UNESCO to choose Fowwa as a world heritage site. Pictured here is one of Fowwa's largest mosques, Abu El Makarem, built in 1850 A.D. in remembrance of Azhar Sheikh El Sayed Abu El Makarem who introduced Sufism in Fowwa.#KiliimStories

Long before Fowwa was known for its Kiliim-making, it was designated to become a hub for fez, or tarboosh, manufacturing by Muhammed Ali Pasha. The Fowwa Fez Factory was opened on the 26th of September, 1824. A Moroccan fez specialist was appointed by the ruler to construct and then manage the factory. The tarabeesh were mainly manufactured for the Egyptian military at the time, however the surplus was exported to Morocco and Tunisia. This is a picture of the gate of the factory, the only standing reminder of the factory's existence. Before the main factory building was torn down, it was