Saqqara – south of Giza – is famous for its palm trees as well as its manufacture of palm leaf cages, traditionally used for transporting groceries.

“I inherited this profession from my ancestors and have been working at it since I was six years old,” said 65-year-old Ali who runs a palm leaf cage workshop.

From leaf to cage

Ali buys palm leaves from land owners in Saqqara and Badrashin and prunes the palm trees.

Saqqara – south of Giza – is famous for its palm trees as well as its manufacture of palm leaf cages, traditionally used for transporting groceries.

“I inherited this profession from my ancestors and have been working at it since I was six years old,” said 65-year-old Ali who runs a palm leaf cage workshop.

From leaf to cage

Ali buys palm leaves from land owners in Saqqara and Badrashin and prunes the palm trees.

The leaves are sold in bundles of 1,000, then stored for a period of one week to 10 days to let them dry thoroughly.  The palm leaves are then cut according to specific measurements with a metal sword-like knife on a wooden platform fixed into the ground called a ‘stump’.

Afterwards, excess pieces are removed by using a hooked ‘clipper’.

Next, the sticks are marked by small metal pins and the punching process starts with the use of a metal pipe. Finally, the cage is assembled.

Painful profession

“All of us cage makers suffer serious back and knee pains due to the long hours we spend in the workshop, from 07 AM to 10 PM,” he says.  “This kind of fatigue is one of the reasons why this craft is on its way to extinction.”