Inside one of Egypt's oldest pottery factories

Spread along the banks of the River Nile, the following series of incredible pictures give us a glimpse into one of the oldest pottery factories in Desouk City, North Egypt where workers rely completely on their hands, having never used machines in the manufacturing process.

Aspiring photographer Ahmed Ali Abel Satar said: “I went to the factory at the end of the day to take some photos, but I found that they had finished their day's work but some of the workers were preparing for the next days work - walking on the mud to make it fit for the formation.”

“The workers were welcoming and very happy, they shared a lot of factual stories about the industry and told me about the decline of the industry as a result of metal containers and plastics.”

The series of images show workers using wet clay to create plates, mugs, ornaments and many other objects although ancient Egyptian pottery was originally made for functional reasons rather than for decorative purposes.

The factory still uses one of the oldest pottery techniques known to man which consists of hollowing out a lump of clay by hand and pinching it to give it the final form. Later, a flat tool is used to press the clay against the other hand.

Pottery was used by the ancient Egyptians in much the same way we use modern kitchen containers or plastic, and by studying the pottery material, technology and form of ancient pottery, archaeologists have been able to date sites in Egypt where there is little other evidence.

Ahmed, an engineering student said: “Because of danger of extinction due to the progress of the plastic and metal containers, this industry is considered a huge part of Egyptian civilisation and tradition, so for me it was a must to go there and photograph the people and the process before it becomes extinct.”