Five Thousand Years of Crafting Glass
- Journalistic Translation
- Jun 15, 2022
- 2 min read
Five Thousand Years of Crafting Glass
Glass making is one of the most ancient crafts in Egypt, which has passed down from one generation to another. It’s also one of the most important economic activities for mankind. If you want to know more about glass making, read this article.
The witchcrafts of glass:
The processes of converting different types of elements like: sand into a shiny transparent object, can be considered some sort of magic. The final product is either sold and used by local consumers or exported to different countries. Glass is actually made of environmental extracted elements. It’s a fragile transparent crystalline material, which almost exists in each and every house.
Craftsmen create magic by blowing:
Workers shape the glass by blowing air inside the vials after heating the glass and melting it. After this procedure, they can shape them into vases, candy bowls, and flasks or craft them into some decorative antiques to be beautifully displayed in your house.
Types of glass:
The most popular type is the soda-lime glass; it’s made of carbonate, salts, sodium oxide and calcium oxide. We surely come across this type every day, since plates, bottles, drinking glasses and windows are soda-lime glass. There’s also the crystal gray glass that’s known for being shiny and sparkly. It’s usually used for decorations, antiques, gifts and accessories.
45 years of blowing in hot glass:
Ramadan Abd Elsamad who’s been making glass for more than 45 years said that: “It’s a very tiring job that requires intensive caution, because the worker is dealing with a melting liquid that can burn up to a thousand degree. It also requires huge accuracy and speed.”
The glass industry is on the edge of extinction
The glass industry has been known to mankind for 5 thousand years. It’s been on top of the most popular traditional handicrafts in the Middle East. However, the industry is trying its best to survive. This battle of survival might be the last one, due to the development of technology.
This profession needs to be saved; it’s an eco-friendly craft that shouldn’t just disappear like that. The craftsmen are also very talented and creative, so their role shouldn’t be overlooked and should be further appreciated. Businessmen should invest in this profession and offer these men the opportunity to keep on their creativity, but in real glass factories.
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