A male craftsman leans closely over a traditional wooden hand loom, carefully threading and inspecting the warp threads inside a small textile workshop in Esna, Upper Egypt. The loom features a dense reed (Mashta) and tensioned heddle strings typical of Egyptian handwoven fabric production. Esna has long been known as a center of traditional weaving and textile handicrafts in Upper Egypt, with workshops producing handwoven fabrics that preserve centuries-old craft techniques.