Pottery-making in Al-Fayoum, Egypt

Having spent a few days in Egypt’s bustling Cairo, I ventured 2 hours by car towards Lake Qarun, I was told that Al-Fayoum was a must-see as a creative. Fayoum Pottery School was founded in the 1970s and still continues to teach children and adults how to make local pottery.

We were greeted by young locals Amr and Sarah when we arrived and given a tour of the pottery school. The village was effortlessly beautiful and I loved how simple it was, children wandered around on donkeys and horses, there was no sound of traffic, colourful flowers adorned the picturesque doors of local houses. It was the kind of experience I had longed for after spending time in busy Cairo.

18-year-old Sarah was our teacher for the day, with 10 years experience in pottery. As you press the pedal to turn the throwing wheel, you also shape the clay - the multi-tasking was too much for my first try! Below you can see my finished piece alongside my sisters which was a lot better.

Amr showed us a 150 year old pigeon house, which I found both beautiful and petrifying (I have a fear of pigeons).

Think about transport to a remote village!

One thing I would suggest is to arrive early and spend at least one night there, make sure you have a form of transport arranged for the way back as there are no taxis ad ubers and our uber driver had to chill in the village to take us back.

Pottery School Address: 9FWW+5HC، المدينة العتيقة, Qaroun, Youssef Al Seddik, Faiyum Governorate 2822651, Egypt

Contact: +20 100 138 8018

Hello! Salaam! I’m Shaimaa, a Dutch-born Sudanese-Egyptian creative and traveler based in London. I left medical training in 2022 and gone have down the tech route. Here, I share my artwork and creative travel adventures, for the artsy wanderlust out there. Enjoy :)

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