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In his workshop in Cairo's Imbaba neighborhood, Mohamed Gamal
affixes acrylic portraits of Egyptian footballers, pop stars and
presidents to the lanterns, known locally as fawanees.
He hopes his modern take on the traditional wooden lanterns
believed to date back to Egypt's 12th-century Fatimid dynasty
will stop them from being undercut by new Chinese imports.
"I've worked with lanterns for 10 years and wooden lanterns have
been the most popular during this time. I wanted to do something
different," said Gamal.
Chinese products have flooded Middle Eastern markets for years
but are becoming increasingly popular in Egypt, where ordinary
people and businesses like Gamal's are struggling amid rampant
inflation.
Import-dependent Egypt floated its currency in November, roughly
halving the pound's value. It now hopes the cheaper currency
will encourage local manufacturers like Gamal to make products
that can replace more expensive imports, narrowing its gaping
trade deficit.
The arrival in Cairo's shops last year of battery-powered
Chinese lanterns touched a nerve among Egyptians who view the
old candle lanterns as a symbol of national pride.
Following an outcry on social media about the dying handicraft,
Egypt's ministry of industry and trade issued a rare decree in
2015 banning imports of Chinese-made lanterns and other
traditional Egyptian handicrafts.
But rows of the plastic knock-offs flash in the windows of
stores near Gamal's workshop.
"All of the lanterns in the market, of course, are made in
China, so my hope is for us to stop importing them," said Gamal.
"In fact, my dream is for us one day to export our lanterns to
China."
(Reporting by Arwa Gaballa; Writing by Tom Finn; Editing by Eric
Knecht and Tom Heneghan)
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