Khayamiya is the appliqué of the Cairo tentmakers. It was first used to line the great ceremonial tents of the city, and the craft lives on today in wall hangings. Every shape — a bird's wing, a lotus petal, a letter of Kufic script — is cut from cotton, its edges turned under and stitched down by hand with tiny, close stitches, so the picture is built up layer by layer rather than printed or painted.
What you will find here
Birds in blossoming trees and trees of life; star medallions, lotus mandalas and arabesque lattices in the geometric tradition of Islamic art; mihrab arches; Nile village scenes and Pharaonic scenes from temple and tomb walls; and Arabic calligraphy, from square Kufic panels with verses such as Surah Al-Ikhlas to flowing Thuluth script. Sizes run from small 16-inch calligraphy panels to large hangings of just over seven feet, plus runners that can go on a table or on the wall. Each piece here is a finished, one-of-a-kind hanging in stock: the flat photographs show the exact piece you receive, and the room photographs are illustrations.
Choosing a size
Measure the wall first. Above a sofa or a bed, a hanging about two-thirds the width of the furniture looks settled; tall panels suit a hallway, a stairwell or the wall beside a doorway, and the small square pieces work in a reading corner, a kitchen or as part of a gallery wall. Every product lists its width and height in centimetres and inches. For a prayer corner or a reading nook, a mihrab arch or a calligraphy panel sets the tone on its own; geometric medallions in the larger sizes work like a rug on the wall.
Hanging and care
Each hanging has a rod pocket sewn across the back of the top edge. Slide a curtain rod, a dowel or a slim wooden batten through it and hang it from two brackets or nails. Cotton fades in strong direct sun, so a wall out of the afternoon light keeps the colours bright for longest.
Looking for woven wool instead? See our Egyptian woven tapestries. Questions about a piece? Talk to us before you order.