About Khayamia Street
A Gallery for the Last Handmade Textile Tradition of Cairo
Khayamia Street brings the work of Cairo’s remaining tentmakers to collectors and designers worldwide — one piece at a time, each entirely made by hand.
What is Khayamiya?
Khayamiya is the art of Egyptian appliqué: intricate geometric and figurative patterns cut from cotton fabric and hand-stitched — stitch by stitch — onto a contrasting ground cloth. The craft has been practiced for centuries in Cairo’s Street of the Tentmakers, a covered market where artisans have worked side by side for generations.
The number of tentmakers who still practice the full hand-stitched tradition has dwindled to a small and shrinking group. Each panel they produce is genuinely one-of-one: the pattern is drawn by eye, the colours chosen by the maker, and the stitching done without the aid of machines. No two are identical.
Why These Pieces Are Collectible
Every panel in the gallery is a singular object. The maker cuts each piece of fabric by hand, positions it, and stitches it in place — a process that can take days or weeks depending on the complexity of the design. There is no batch production, no screen-printing, and no machine stitching.
Because the craft depends on a small number of practitioners, the supply of genuine hand-stitched Khayamiya is inherently limited. Pieces that leave the Street of the Tentmakers today represent a living tradition that may not endure indefinitely — which is part of what gives them their weight as objects worth keeping.
Every stitch is a decision. The maker chooses where the needle enters the cloth, how tight the thread lies, how the edge of one colour meets the next. That is the whole point.
— on the nature of hand-stitched appliqué
How Buying Works
Khayamia Street operates on a request basis. When you find a piece you want to acquire, you submit a request through the gallery. We will send you a full quote covering the piece price and insured worldwide shipping — no surprises. Once you confirm, payment is by bank transfer and the piece is held for you while your transfer clears.
We handle all logistics from the maker’s workshop in Cairo to your door, including insurance and customs documentation. Most pieces reach their destination within two weeks of payment confirmation.
Our Commitments to You
Authenticity. Every piece is sourced directly from the tentmakers on the Street of the Tentmakers in Cairo. We do not source from intermediaries or resellers.
Condition shown accurately. Gallery photographs show the piece as it is, including any natural variation in the cloth. If there is anything worth noting about condition we will say so in the listing.
Certificate of authenticity. Each piece ships with a certificate confirming the origin of the work and the hand-stitched technique used.
Insured shipping. All shipments are fully insured for the declared value of the piece. If something goes wrong in transit, you are covered.
Looking for something specific? Tell us about a custom piece.