Kiliim Stories
A Reimagined Kiliim
By Noha El Taher, Co-Founder, Kiliim Five years after the launch of our brand, we've been inspired by the artisans we've worked with and the power our collaboration has over improving their living standards and sustaining crafts from our cultural heritage. This led us to reflect on who we are and what we will aim to work on in the future. This past year we've been working on two major changes, one of which is our visual identity. Our previous logo and identity was very telling of who Kiliim was when we launched, it was a company of just two people and a handful of craftsmen. I was the co-founder responsible for designing our brand and also designing our products, even though I was a graphic designer who had experience designing either on print or digital media, I was assigned to design a material and product I didn't quite understand and didn't have experience with. This reflected in our logo and branding visuals, it was flat and digital, bold, sharp and trendy. Yet, five years later, we've grown and got to know ourselves, the craft, and the artisans better, so we came up with an identity that reflected this progress. Our new identity is imperfect and worn, it's simple and humble. It is true to who we are, the artisans we work with, and the products we make. Alongside, we've updated our website and packaging for a thoughtful and seamless shopping experience. The other result of our reflection was that we were intrigued by the impact we've done in Fowa for the kilim weavers, as we continue our work there, we could only image the potential this kind of collaboration would have on other crafts around the country. This led us to launch 'Curated by Kiliim', it is a line of handpicked, handmade home decor items sourced from craft communities across the country. These products from Qena to Fayoum to Luxor tell stories from our cultural heritage that we'll be sharing with you here through the upcoming weeks. So welcome to the new Kiliim, take a look around and tell us what you think!
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Kiliim's youngest craftsman in the making
This is Mostafa, the son of one of our craftsmen. He built his own mini-loom to practice his weaving skills after school; aspiring to be just like his father. We aim to create a culture where the young people of Fowa can take pride and continue to see potential in the craft of their ancestors. #KiliimStories
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Rabae' El Khatayba
Fowa used to be a central hub for trade; pictured here is Raba' El Khatayba built in the 19th Century. Being one of Fowa's landmarks & biggest historical trade venues, it was used as a guest house for traders passing by the city as well as a marketplace to store and display the goods. #KiliimStories
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Tales of Geziret ElDahab
Geziret ElDahab is one of Fowwa's most picturesque landmarks, however it is legend to many tales. It is claimed by the locals to have been the home to a Pharonic queen, Fawa, of which the village was named. Upon her death, her entire savings of gold and other treasures are claimed to have been buried underneath the island, and the only way to access this tomb, is through a complex labyrinth of cursed passageways that begin underneath the mosque of Sidi Abou ElNasr, another famous Fowwa landmark. Tales have been told about men who have attempted to claim the gold but never made it back alive.
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The Story of Fowwa: Past and Present
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
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Fowwa: An open museum
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
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The story of Fowwa's Fez factory
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 used as the town movie theater and wedding hall. #KiliimStories
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