Mounaya Gallery has become a household name ever since the Zamalek venue opened about a year and a half ago. Owned by Ghada Abdel Hak-Khalife, the shop is a mesh of oriental and elegant funk. "The concept is that you work with a lot of artisans and designers and have everything either hand-embroidered, hand-finished or hand-stitched, explains Ghada. Whether house accessories, jewelry, handbags, kaftans, bed covers or other creative gadgets, the gallery holds any chic object you could wish for either for yourself or as an impressive gift. For those who have never visited, Mounaya Gallery is nestled away in a beautiful old Zamalek apartment block - old ceiling and all. You even have to ring a doorbell to get in, which gives a sense of intimacy and coziness. The gallery is managed by Ghada's niece Rodaina Rashed, who greets you with a friendly smile, adding even more to the warmth to the place. The apartment is tastefully decorated in a unified color scheme. On the left is an old-fashioned four poster bed that displays the sheets, blankets and bedding from Malaika. In the room on the right is an area mostly dedicated to a jewelry display that includes eight designers, Egyptian, Lebanese, Turkish and Polish. Everywhere else is a mixture of design and texture, from ceramics to knit work with a common ethnicity. The beauty of the products is obvious for anyone to see, but the stories behind them are even more compelling. For example, the collection of bags by Lebanese designer Sarah is popular because of their unique edge, but what people may not realize is that the designer is a social worker who makes these bags in workshops at women's prisons to rehabilitate them before their release. Another example is little crochet pieces that are made to cover food and drinks from outdoor insects, with little coins on the edges to add weight. These cute objects are made by a society of children with special needs. Mounaya does not make profit from them, as the full price goes back to the children. The products from Malaika are also made by Sudanese refugees and Palestinian women living in Egypt, who do hand embroidery. Another concept that Ghada believes in is old Egyptian traditions and modernizing them. "Every area in Egypt is famous for something - and they excel at it. What they need is better fabrics and more modern designs, she explains. For example, they have revamped the concept of te'ly, which is a type of stitching using silver and gold colors for which the south of Egypt is famous. Today people won't wear it on a galabeya, so instead they design it on a shawl that can be worn with jeans. Mounaya is also the sole carrier of a variety of brands and designer objects. Some artists design a line especially to fit in the flair of the gallery. Laila Mansour, for instance, designed sets of cups with the khamsa we khemesa symbol (the hand) which is prominent around the gallery. Ghada's hope is to work with more artists, especially Egyptians, in the future. She says, "We are not being nice, it is our duty as a community to let more people work. With the right attitude and good taste, Mounaya should look forward to a brilliant future. Mounaya Gallery16 Mohammed Anis St., Off Mohamed Mazhar St., Zamalek, Cairo.www.mounaya.comTel: (02) 736 4827 Open daily from 11 am-8 pm (except Fridays from 12 pm). Closed Sundays.
