Travel Guide Fuwa

The small town of Fuwa is not on the classic itineraries. This is a pity, as it is not without interest. Located 85 kilometers from Alexandria, on the eastern branch of the Nile, it faces the small town of Mahmoudieh, from where the canal of the same name runs, bringing water from the river to Alexandria. Fuwa is not far from the capital of the 7th nome of Lower Egypt, called Besta or Metelis. The city became the seat of a diocese during the Christian period, then was taken by Arab conquerors who mentioned it in Babylon, Heliopolis and Alexandria. The city retained its importance under the Ayyubid and then Mamluk sultans, and played a key role during the Crusader occupation of Egypt. The Ottomans continued to give it importance, building remarkable monuments and developing a carpet industry. Fuwa means "madder", a plant whose roots are used by dyers for their natural red color. Recently, three ancient mosques have been restored here, one Ayyubid, one Mamluk and one in the transition between Mamluk and Ottoman styles. The town of Fuwa is famous for its craftsmen who create traditional carpets, known as kilims. You can visit a workshop, Al-Rub al-Khattabeyya, still in operation opposite the Abu al-Makarim mosque, housed in an ancient building dating from the Mamluk and Ottoman periods.