CAIRO — Sculpting with camel bones is a handicraft that has been practiced in Upper Egypt for thousands of years, since the Pharaonic era, but the trade is fast disappearing.

Sahar Mubarak is one of the few remaining carvers in Qus, a city in Qena governorate. She told Al-Monitor that the most important reason for the disappearance of this ancient art was economic: The camel bones are getting more expensive after the international trade of ivory was banned, as camel bones have become a popular substitute. Like ivory, the bones are rigid and retain their whiteness for thousands of years.

Camel bones are used in sculptures, which Europeans and Russians tend to buy, and necklaces and rosaries, favored by tourists from Gulf and Arab countries.

“There are some initiatives that help protect this historical craft, such as the nonprofit Egyptian Initiative for Integrated Development, also known as El-Nidaa. This NGO [nongovernmental organization] has provided us with the necessary funds to purchase bones and have craftsmen from the Egyptian market Khan al-Khalili come and provide workshops for us. There are currently a limited number of master craftsmen in Cairo's Khan al-Khalili bazaar, along with the 27 women at the center in Qus,” said Mubarak.