Humongous Antique Lovers Fair Hits Egypt Next Month

Why is it that humans become mesmerised when they encounter antiquated wooden heirlooms? What is it about stained wood and ornamental carvings with images of horses and flowers that leave us in awe? Or even our fascination with paintings that depict landscapes we have never seen before. They all seem to supply us with a glimpse of a life before the present; a way of escape. The older these antiquities get, the more overwhelmed we become when imagining the era of their origin. The reason is simple: we marvel at how anyone could possibly create such magnificent masterpieces at a time when the Internet was non-existent for reference, or distraction. 

Not only can we spot fine craftsmanship in the nooks and crannies of local markets around town, but they also come together in the mammoth biannual Salon D'Antiquités Exhibition – more commonly known as Antique Lovers Fair. International and Egyptian furniture, tapestries, carpets, rugs, paintings, lighting, and jewellery - dating back to before our great grandparents were born - are all perfectly arranged and displayed in the Sonesta Cairo Hotel Iris Banquet Hall. The Antique Lovers Fair serves as a hereditary and cultural platform for locals to discover, learn, or purchase antiquated masterpieces.

The Antique Lovers Fair was born when the organiser of the exhibition and an exhibitor herself, Nevine Kadry-Azab began to display her own antique collection before the uprising of 2011. After the revolution, other antique lovers began to show passion and interest in exhibiting the items they had collected over the years. Thus, the fair flourished and developed into a humongous collection of all things old, beautiful, and delicate. 

Azab believes that every home should display antique treasures because they inherently elevate the aesthetic image of a household. “When the workmanship of the past is appreciated and displayed, people can learn things about the past they never knew. Like furniture made from wood doesn’t always use nails,” explains Azab, excitedly.

The exhibition aims to appreciate the significant value of antique masterpieces that continues to prosper and increase over the decades. “We get a lot of people telling us that we’re taking them back in time when everything was still beautiful,” Azab explains. “They grew up with these bits and pieces in their homes and they even bring their kids to see them in the exhibition.”

This month’s showing will run for three days, beginning on the 10^th of March at 1 PM and ending on the 12^th of March at 9 PM. It will display collections from 23 different exhibitors, and the public will have the opportunity to interact with the collectors about the works on display.

*The content of this article is sponsored.*