Close-up of a craftsman's bare foot pressing down on a heavy traditional iron (Mekwate El-Regel) with a curved metal handle and wooden grip, used to press fabric on a work surface in Esna, Luxor. This foot-operated ironing technique is a rare surviving Egyptian handicraft, historically practiced in Upper Egypt by specialist pressers known as Makwagi. The method relies on body weight applied through the foot to generate pressing force, reflecting centuries-old trade practices still found in traditional markets (Souqs) of Upper Egypt.