Those living in Saqqara have grown up proud of their heritage and want to follow in their fathers' footsteps. Carpet weaving is a trade born and bred in Saqqara, and our handmade carpets are known worldwide. 'This school is the third one, and it's been open since 2000. My grand-father started a small carpet weaving shop, and my uncle and father built a name for it it, eventually opening a second school ,' recounts Fayed.
'It all started in Shabramant, an area in Saqqara. The third school in a family of carpet weavers, Akhnaton's co-owner and vice president, Amer Ibrahim Fayed tells us of the legacy that started with his grandfather.
The Akhnaton weaving school is one of the many institutions passing down the skill pioneered by our forefathers.
What many aren't aware of though, is that Saqqara is the spot keeping alive one of Egypt’s oldest and most intricate crafts: carpet weaving. Hidden between stretches of farmland, tuk-tuks transporting their passengers and local women carrying bread baskets on their heads, is the beating heart of Saqqara’s expert carpet weavers, passing down the craft to younger generations. Known for being a lively tourist hub, and home to the iconic Step Pyramid of Djoser, Saqqara is an area teeming with heritage and history that is often overlooked by those born and bred in Egypt.
