Al-Saka, the profession that quenched the thirst of the Egyptians for a thousand years

“Water” is the most important source of survival, without it, it’s impossible to live.

A century and half ago, the profession of Al-Saka, one of the most important and oldest professions in Egypt, began to disappear. When Khedive Ismail issued a decision to develop Cairo and turn it into a city comparable to the largest and most beautiful European cities, that profession that slaked the thirst of Egyptians was affected. Al-Saka (water seller) is a person who used to sell water to people until the end of the nineteenth century.

Choosing to work in this profession back then was not an easy choice at all, but it required some harsh conditions for approval. However, the water seller was the only one who was allowed to enter homes and roam the alleys. He was not allowed to do this except after obtaining a license to practice this profession from the Ministry of Interior Affairs. He was supposed to put this license on his shoulder with a leather strap, to make sure that everyone can identify him and differentiate him from other professions, in the streets of Cairo.

The most important thing that made the water seller unique is the sack of water, he used to carry on his back throughout his day for more than 12 full hours a day. It was made of goatskin to maintain the water’s cold temperature, and it could hold approximately 20 liters of water

Selling water was one of the exhausting jobs carried out in harsh circumstances. Watch this video for more information about Al-Saka’s life.