CAIRO: Cairo's governor, Dr. Abdel Kawi Khalifa, is opening the first handcrafts festival today. The festival was organized by Aga Khan Cultural Foundation, the Canadian scholarship and Darb al-Ahmar community developmental project. The festival will take place for three days in Azhar Park. The festival aims to support local workshops of handcraft in Darb al-Ahmar, create communication and shopping opportunities and increase awareness with regards to Egyptian handcrafts. The festival aims to increase marketing products as well as improve modern craftsman. The festival is being held because of the Darb al-Ahmar community developmental project, said Shrief Aryan, the general director of the Aga Khan Foundation. The organization aims to support the social and economic development in Darb al-Ahmer as well as reserve traditional crafts, added Aryan. All those who are interested in traditional handcrafts are invited to the festival. Those may include designing centers, technical schools, architects, interior designers, handicraft exhibition owners, hotels, resorts, clubs, landscaping companies, professors and students. The festival will include 60 showcases for craftsmen, specialized lectures on Egyptian crafts, a cultural tent filled with handcrafts, live craft show on stage and a special tent for kids to discover their talents. The administrator of the festival organized daily visits to Darb Al Ahmer in order for one to acquaint him or herself with its monuments.
