Three craftsmen sit cross-legged on the ground outside the Abu Aish alabaster workshop in Luxor, hand-carving raw alabaster stone into vases, urns, and figurines using chisels and hand tools. Unfinished alabaster pieces, rough stone blocks, and metal chisels are arranged in front of them. The workshop wall features painted murals depicting traditional craftsmen and the Arabic text 'أبو عيش للألباستر' (Abu Aish Alabaster) alongside 'مرحباً بكم في رصخ' (Welcome to Rushh). Alabaster (Ragham) carving is one of Egypt's oldest surviving handicrafts, originating in ancient Egyptian times and remaining a defining craft of the Luxor and Upper Egypt region, where the stone is locally quarried.