CAIRO — 25 SEPTEMBER, 2025 — The Jameel House of Traditional Arts in Cairo, an educational institute which aims to preserve and champion Egypt’s oldest crafts, celebrated today the graduation of 38 students from its 14th and 15th cohorts.
Across two years of study, the graduates specialised in woodwork, brasswork, ceramics and gypsum carving.
A public exhibition of the graduates’ work, free to visit for all, is open daily until 29 September 2025, from 10h00 to 15h00 at the Jameel House of Traditional Arts in Cairo, in the historic Fustat neighbourhood of Cairo.
Friends and family joined the students and alumni at the graduation ceremony today, which opened with a walk-through of the exhibition displaying the graduates’ works.
The ceremony also featured addresses by Dr Mamdouh Sakr, programme manager of the Jameel House in Cairo, and Hamdy El-Setouhy, head of the Cultural Development Fund at the Egyptian ministry of culture.
Suzan Wadnomiry, arts and culture programmes officer at Community Jameel, also participated.
Dr Mamdouh Sakr, programme manager at the Jameel House of Traditional Arts in Cairo, said: “Every year, something new is added to the programme, whether it is a technique included within the content of one of the crafts or a curriculum that is expanded and developed.
“This year, a new specialisation was added to the programme: traditional joinery, known as gamiya. We now offer two woodwork specialisations: gamiya, and decorative techniques, including inlay, carving and wood-turning.
“The attention given to woodwork in the programme reflects its richness as one of the most important crafts in Egypt, throughout its long history.
“In addition, our students continue to impress us with their masterpieces crafted from ceramics, brass. and gypsum. It is a creative and artistic journey that we are fortunate to undertake.’’
Cléa Daridan, head of arts and culture at Community Jameel, said: “The Jameel House in Cairo celebrates the graduation of a new batch of emerging talents in traditional Islamic crafts, now including traditional joinery.
“In line with Community Jameel’s focus on preserving traditional knowledge, including traditional arts, the programme develops students' abilities to apply the foundational skills inspired by several parts of the Islamic world to contemporary design and the restoration of monuments.”
The Jameel House in Cairo is a collaboration between Community Jameel, KFSTA and the Cultural Development Fund of Egypt.
Launched in 2009, the school’s two-year programme in traditional arts equips students with foundational skills, including contemporary design, the restoration of monuments and assistance with vocational opportunities.
Alumni of the Jameel House in Cairo have gone on to teach at academic institutions, venture into the world of furniture design and feature in solo and group exhibitions.
