Jewellery & Crafts brand launches in Cairo's 'City of the Dead'

Cairo – 4 June 2020: A brand new line of handmade jewelry and crafts has launched in Cairo’s Necropolis, AKA City of the Dead, which is rich in Mamluk monuments.

MISHKĀ brand presents leather goods, in addition to brass and silver handmade jewelry, well-crafted by a professional team consisting of 80 local women, working from a workshop close to the complex of Sultan Qaitbey.

"The word MISHKA means 'lantern' in Arabic, and our brand means a better life for the women living among these historic monuments," says Agnieszka Dobrowolska, Project Director at MISHKĀ. "It also means a new life for the City of the Dead."

Furthermore, the brand is inspired by the floral and geometric patterns that Mamluk architecture is characterized by. All products are handmade from local material and are sold at a MISHKĀ shop near the famed Sultan Qaitbey Mosque and in various other locations around the ancient city of Cairo, including Diwan Bookstores.

Also, MISHKĀ initially provided training for around 40 women from the Qaitbey area back in 2017. Their breath-taking productions were later developed into a brand by the Sultan Foundation, a non-profit organization supported by the Drosos Foundation.

The line includes earrings and necklaces trenched with a specialized jeweller’s saw and bench pin, in addition to coin purses, leather notebooks, eyeglass cases and tablet covers in an array of colors.

"We blend contemporary design with traditional Egyptian crafts," says Heba al-Naggar, production manager and designer. "And this lets people see Egyptian art through a different lens."

The MISHKĀ brand is part of a larger project co-held by the Sultan Foundation and ARCHiNOS Architecture, which aims to protect the neighborhood’s renowned tradition of handicrafts.

“The project aims to integrate culture into the life of the local community, while improving conditions and promoting cultural tourism to the Qaitbey neighborhood,” said Dobrowolska.


Brass earrings (350 EGP) handmade by women in the Qaitbey neighbourhood of historic Cairo - MISHKĀ brand


Brass earrings (250 EGP) inspired by the Mamluk architecture of Cairo's "City of the Dead." - MISHKĀ brand


Business card holders or coin purses (95 EGP) handmade from the finest local materials. - MISHKĀ brand


Large notebooks (250 EGP) handmade from leather and available in an array of colors. - MISHKĀ brand


Hammered brass necklace (350 EGP) from Mishka's debut collection of leather and jewellery. - MISHKĀ brand


Brass necklace (400 EGP) available in brass and plated brass.- MISHKĀ brand