Recycled Glass

Cairo / Qaitbay, Manshiyet Nasser

Glass-making can be traced back to Pharaonic times since Ancient Egypt was the first to make glass. The process of its making was especially unique in flask and vase making, it entailed air blown into a flask mold while exposing it to a very high temperature of heat, so that the air gets blown, and then shaped by hand into different things like vases, teapots, bowls, decorative boxes, and flasks. The artisan then decides on the shape and size of any decorative designs. Whoever works with blown glass needs to be patient, to be able to stand in front of hot ovens for a long time, and this job needs to be practiced for at least 4 years to become a professional. The family of Mr. Hassan Hudhud has been in the glass-making business for a very long time since Mr. Hassan started practicing this craft in the last quarter of the 18th century. Ever since, the family stayed true to this art keeping all the best secrets of practices of glass-making, passing it from one generation to the next leading to today's family’s workshop at the historic Qayit Bay in Gamalaya, where 24 artisans master the art of making glass. Mr. Hassan’s dream is a school to teach the art of glass-making, which is soon to disappear amidst the mechanical world. Mr. Hassan was awarded a certificate from UNESCO for playing a unique role in keeping the art of glass-making alive, as crafts like his are slowly diminishing. And since Fair Trade Egypt cares much about craft preservation, we started collaborating with Mr. Hassan in 2012 to support him in keeping this craft away from extinction. Fair Trade Egypt also has a role in marketing the group's products so that they get to be more recognized in the market.