How One Man In Egypt Is Keeping This 200-Year-Old Tile Tradition Alive | Still Standing

this is how cement tiles are handmade at one of the few workshops left in egypt the craft has been around since the 1800s when cement became a cheap and efficient way to build but for syed hussein it's an art form even though other types of tiles have threatened his business he's stayed true to his trade [Music] plan we visited cairo to see how his workshop is still standing syed has been making tiles since he was 12 years old and much of his process is still the same [Music] um he begins with s

ifting white cement [Music] once it's become a fine powder he mixes in pigments to get just the right hue working with colors is his speciality [Music] [Music] then he adds in water syed pours each color into its own section using one of his stencils he's had these for over 35 years [Music] he worked slowly and precisely to navigate the finer details foreign [Music] foreign [Music] some designs syed does freehand he tops off the mold with a mixture of sand cement and limestone a crucial step to

ensure the pattern stays in place [Music] then he sends it through the hydraulic press the machine's pressure solidifies the cement within seconds syed learned this craft from his father who worked at a shop owned by greek immigrants have roots in other parts of europe too factories started popping up in countries like the uk and france during the 1800s right after cement was discovered as a cheap and efficient building material and in belgium the industry flourished after world war one when the

country needed rebuilding and cement tiles were an affordable option eventually changing tastes in europe's tile market pushed cement aside by the mid 20th century and in egypt syed says ceramic and marble tiles took over the market in the 1990s shaking up his business he says since then the high cost of materials and hard physical labor have steered workers away from the craft [Music] uh [Music] by making new cheaper designs now he and his two employees are among the few tile makers left his t

eam can make up to 150 tiles in just a day they sell one square meter of them for 500 egyptian pounds or 31 dollars to [Music] has been offering free apprenticeships to young craftsmen for the past 40 years to keep the traditional process going [Music] on [Music] but the most important thing for syed is that this art lives on [Music] inside [Music] foreign [Music] you