Written By: Hend Mohamed ElShafei, For Roots & Waves
5 minutes read , updated 12:30 AM (GMT+3) , Tues October 8, 2024
“The idea of reviving a city’s fortunes through investment in the arts and culture draws a lot of headlines. But does it actually work? “, said by Tiffany Jenkins
As Small traditions in small cities can be the motivational fuel for innovation, our waves drove us to a small fishermen village, located south of Ismailia City to the west of El-Sayadeen Lake. The cultural fabrics that lies in El-Bahtiny village, are bustling with the life of fishing, establishing a settlement based on fishing and trade. The village holds economic pursuits that complement the fishing activities including fishing nets weaving, mostly made by women, and fishing boats building and maintenance.
Source image: Yara yousry published media, Bahtinet team.
The societal card of using cultural activity to regenerate cities has been a major concept and practice worldwide to improve the local economy, help build the community, and make people feel better.
The Footsteps of curiosity arrived to El-bahtiny, a journey from the capital driven by environmental heroes from the American university in Cairo to Inhibit this fishermen’s small village culture and craft from abandoning.
While heroes wear their capes to rescue the city, Yara yousry , Mariam el halaby Aliaa moussa and Heidi Omar , held their questions, passion and notebooks, and started to observe a problem in one of their urban design project studies in Ismailia.
Source image: Yara yousry published media, Bahtinet team
They noticed that fishermen have started abandoning their craft and their homes due to the lack of local affordable fishing gear.
And while the fishing craft is the main weave of this community, it’s currently shrinking due to the shortage and rising costs of imported fishing net materials, influenced by various economic factors and market conditions.
Source image: Yara yousry published media, Bahtinet team
Letting go of the craft leaves the culture pages missing but also causing environmental issue made by the discarded fishing nets that are lost or abundant, causing a negative impact on the marine ecosystem where the ghost nets get stuck in rocks for hundreds of years, and destroy the eggs laid down by the fish on the sea bed.
While contemporary society seeks sustainable practices, ancient Egyptian techniques offer valuable insights into resourcefulness and environmental connection, bridging Agriculture and Fishing Traditions.
The Egyptian team drew on the ideas and started their journey of finding a substitute for a sustainable and affordable fishing materials and kicked off their ideas by recalling the materials, techniques and technologies from ancient Egyptian cooking book.
Source:NPL - DeA Picture Library / S. Vannini / Bridgeman Images