CAIRO - Every year, millions of people visit our magnificent Pharaonic temples and statues. But do they have the opportunity to see the bed sheets and pillows on which Queen Hatshepsut (1508-1458 BC) slept or King Tutankhamun's (1336-1327 BC) royal kilt? These and other wonderful items can be found in the first specialist museum for textiles in the Middle East – the Egyptian Textile Museum, located in Moezz lidin Ellah St., Islamic Cairo. The building is an architectural work of art, built by Mohamed Ali Pasha in 1828 in remembrance of his dear son, Ismail Pasha, who had died in Sudan in 1822. Firstly, it was used as a charitable educational facility, where children were taught to read and write. Later, it became the Nahaseen Preparatory School, which closed, because, regrettably, the condition of the building began to deteriorate, due to its age. But, in 2000, when the Ministry of Culture kicked off its big Islamic Cairo renovation project in the Gamaliya district, the building was turned into a museum solely for textiles, from the Pharaonic era until today. Before Egypt was known worldwide for its cotton, Egyptians coveted linen and wool, using these textiles for everything from clothing and bedding to paying taxes with. Textiles were used by the ancient Egyptians throughout their lives, beginning in childhood and ending with their burial. In daily life, they served many functions. They were used for clothing, protecting people from the scorching summer heat and also keeping them warm in the chilly winters. Household articles, such as lamp wicks, furnishings and covers, were also made from textiles. They were sometimes used for bartering for other goods. Textiles also played an important role in the temple rituals. They were presented as offerings to the gods and goddesses. During the mummification process, linen was used to pack the body. It was also wrapped around the deceased's body. This process was intended to preserve the body so that the deceased could enjoy the afterlife, as the Pharaohs believed. In the museum, which was opened to the public in 2010, the first few rooms are devoted to items from the Pharaonic era. They include a few linen shawls, tunics and loin cloths, along with information on the typical fashions of ancient times. When you visit the museum, you will be surprised by the variety of these priceless treasures and also how elaborate they are. The embroidery on the shawls is stunning and you will also be very impressed by the display of primitive bed linen. The section for the Graeco-Roman period is a small one, as, according to Sahar Ibrahim, who works at the museum, few items from this period remain, because the country's rulers lived in the coastal city of Alexandria, where the humidity and salt swiftly destroyed anything of value. There are also some early Coptic textiles on display. As you can see for yourself, in the 3rd and 4th centuries AD, clothing starts to become more colourful, with different yarns being woven into the fabric. On the second floor, there are textiles from the later Coptic era (5th, 6th and 7th centuries AD), characterised by floral and geometric embroidery designs. Then comes the Islamic era, starting with the Ummayids and their beautiful Arabic calligraphy. As you continue round the second floor, the beautiful collection of clothing and decorative textiles becomes more impressive and ornate, with a brief stop at the politically volatile years of Mamluke rule. There is a unique gift, presented by Mohamed Ali Pasha to his daughter, Zeinab, on the occasion of her wedding. It is a prayer carpet made of red silk, embroidered with gilded silver threads representing floral designs in the style of Rococo and Baroque, which had appeared in Europe in the 18th century. This carpet was not used for praying, but was hung as decoration on the wall. The lighting in the building is deliberately kept subdued to protect its treasures, while the whole museum is temperature- and humidity-controlled. You can also watch videos about the work that was done to renovate this beautiful building. Each room has pillars and/or sections of the walls plastered with historical facts about the contents of the room, in both Arabic and English. Don't miss the most magnificent textile in the museum – a massive kiswa (cover) for the holy Kaaba in Mecca. Until about fifty years ago, Egypt made a new kiswa every year, which it presented to Saudi Arabia as a gift in the run-up to the Hajj (Major Pilgrimage). The kiswa in the museum is a splendid oblong cover, made of blue silk and decorated with botanical designs and Qura'nic verses, knitted in gilded yarn. It was made in 1942 as per the orders of King Farouq of Egypt, as the knitting reads. The museum is open daily from 9am to 5pm.
