In 2008, Egypt was among the top
10 exporters of art and crafts among
developing economies, generating
US$326m revenues. Three years earlier,
UNESCO had designated the city of
Aswan its first City of Crafts and Folk Art.
Known as “Swno” (the market) by the
Pharaohs, Aswan has preserved a unique
heritage in folk art, while evolving into a
contemporary hub of exquisite craftwork,
arts education, creative exchange
and civil engagement. Standing at the
junction of the northern and southern
parts of the Nile Valley, Aswan combines
their influences into a unique tradition
of Nubian art that melds Egyptian and
Sudanese cultures.