Egyptian mosques get Christian touch |
Mikhail perfects art of making Islamic minbars
Outside a small shop, an old man in traditional Arabic robe called Tally brushes tools to complete what seems to be a minbar – a raised wooden platform, erected in the front area of a mosque to deliver sermons. Despite his age, he relies on himself to complete the work. Please meet popular Uncle Mikhail.
This Christian artisan excels in crafting Islamic minbars for mosques. For the residents of Nag Hammadi, some 700 kilometers from Cairo, Kuras Mikhail (70) is an unquestionable choice for ordering Islamic furniture of mosques.
For a stranger, reaching him is not easy in this south Egyptian city in Qena province. Six Christians and a Muslim, who was a policeman guarding the church, died in shooting incident at Coptic Orthodox Diocese on October 27, 2010. Subsequently, Muslim-Christian clashes inflicted significant loss of property and mutual trust.
Mikhail used to be a carpenter with no special skills four decades ago until his friend Zaki Mohamed Abed Al-Rahman insisted him to design and make a wooden minbar. Today, he credits his Muslim friend for exploring this hidden talent.
"I had no experience in the Islamic art but on my friend’s demand, I made several designs on paper, until we agreed on a minbar filled with arabesques and inscriptions of Islamic decoration.”
Rain or shine, Mikhail opens his small workshop below his apartment at 9am. From the looks of it, the shop is a junkyard of scattered tools, raw and half-processed timber and some crushed wood. Due to low roof of shop, he crafts tall minbars just by the street.
“Since a minbar is central piece of furniture in mosque for its importance and beauty both, I take three weeks to complete one after deciding its design on paper,” Mikhail says, while surfing the pages of his handwritten catalogue.
The old craftsman has special instructions for his predominantly Coptic Christian staff. “You have to stop smoking or swearing in respect and sanctity of your work,” he tells a newcomer at the outset.
So far, his has crafted 250 minbars for mosques, most for Qena and Saeed provinces, including the region’s largest Abdul Rahim Kenawy mosque.
Pauls Kairlis, head of the Church in Nag Hammadi, financially supports Mikhail when the payment offered for a minbar is less than expenses.
“We just want him to continue the good work without worrying about value for his skills,” says the bishop, pointing to a framed picture with Mikhail.
Despite Paul’s help, Mikhail faces financial crisis, hampering his life and work. "There is no steady stream of work for me as usually we sit here and wait,” says Mikhail, rubbing a wooden piece with sandpaper.
“The workers have no patience so they rush to find work elsewhere,” he says, in a rather dejected tone. Readily available and cheaper machine-crafted minbars pose serious challenge to Mikhail.
Beyond his craftsmanship and passion, Mikhail has a lot to share from his past in a pluralistic neighborhood.
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Mohamed Abd Elatty is a freelance journalist, with skills to report investigative stories. He has special interest in stories of special people, child grooming and diversity issues. Besides director of documentary films, as well as he worked as editor in the seventh day newspaper (Alyoum 7) , he received training in a number of news organizations including Reuters and Guardian. Participated in the revolution of January 25 Egyptian and had a role in the coordination of youth movements and political and national forces, he is currently producing a series of documentary films that document the events of the revolution.