Salama “Hag” Mahmoud’s dye house is the oldest in Cairo, Egypt and he uses dyeing techniques that go back to pharaonic period. Operating since 1901 in the historic El-Darb El-Ahmar neighborhood of Cairo and rented by Salama in 1975, his small business processes textiles such as silk, cotton, and wool to produce shoelaces, carpets, towels, among other speciality garments.

Salama’s dyeing method varies by textile but generally includes the following hands-on process:

1: Place textile thread on quarterstaffs (poles);

2: Submerge thread into dying pool that consist of hot water and chemicals to apply color;

3: Stuff in wringer to partially dry;

4: Hang on the roof of the dye house to completely dry.

Once the textiles have dried, they are bagged and distributed to clients in Egypt, USA, Europe and the Middle East. Below are visuals of the Artisans and a typical day in Salama’s Dye House.

These photos were captured September 7th, 2020 using a Leica Q2. for more images, you can see the original article on my website.