An Egyptian craftsman sits cross-legged outside a workshop in Esna, Upper Egypt, hand-stitching a traditional cotton mattress (martaba) using long white threading cords held between his hands and mouth — a technique common in traditional upholstery. He wears a beige galabiya and smiles at the camera, with finished and unfinished mattresses visible around him. Traditional cotton mattress making is a centuries-old handicraft practiced across Upper Egypt, using locally sourced cotton filling and hand-stitching methods passed down through generations.