Buying Papyrus Items On Sharm El Sheikh Holidays
Papyrus is one of the most popular souvenirs for those on Sharm el Sheikh holidays. The paintings and symbols depicted on this delicate material is both a customary style of art in Egypt, but also makes for a cheap but pretty souvenir. Native to the Nile Delta, this fibre comes from a once much-treasured Egyptian plant. Growing from 5 to 9 feet tall, it produced a thick paper like material from its pith which was versatile and used by the Ancient Egyptians to make paper, mattresses, boats, mats, baskets ropes and sandals.
The plant, Cyperus Papyrus has since become extinct in Egypt but plans are under way to reintroduce it. It was first used way back in the time of the First Dynasty and was used extensively throughout the whole Mediterranean region. As well as the plant becoming extinct, there was no instruction left by Ancient Egyptians as to how the paper could be made, but a scientist revealed the process in the 1960s. The scientist, Dr. Hassan Ragab, reintroduced the plant back to Egypt from the Sudan and has set up a plantation on Jacob Island, near Cairo. This discovery has the lead the way in paper production, and Dr Ragab is now an expert in the industry.
If you’re strolling the markets in any part of Egypt you are bound to find these papyrus paintings and souvenirs. The paintings and pictures often reveal different scenes or artwork discovered inside the tombs in the Valley of the Kings.
The best seller for those on Egypt holidays is the funeral mask of King Tutankhamen. Another favourite option is to get your name written in hieroglyphs by a local artist. You’ll find there are poor-quality papyrus sheets, which have rough edges and often machine-printed art. If you don’t mind the cheap quality, you can pick one up for less than three Egyptian pounds. If you want something a little better quality, with some decent artwork on there, expect to pay about five times more, although don’t be afraid to barter and negotiate!
If you’re really interested in the production of papyrus, you can include a trip to the papyrus museum on your Egypt holidays. No matter what price you paid for your papyrus, you can be sure that you have the real thing. Most papyrus bears a government stamp, attesting to its authenticity.
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