An elderly Egyptian artisan sits in a narrow stone-walled alley and hand-engraves a large brass tray using a metal chisel and wooden-handled hammer, a traditional craft known as (Naqsh ala al-Nahas). The tray features dense Arabic calligraphy, floral scrollwork, and geometric medallions — hallmarks of Islamic decorative metalwork practiced in Old Cairo for centuries. The black pitch coating visible on the tray edge is used to stabilize the metal during engraving, a technique passed down through generations of Cairo's traditional craftsmen (Hirfiyyeen).