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The cat was sacred in ancient Egypt. Admired for its virility, strength and agility, it was also the symbol of Bastet, the benevolent cat goddess who represented motherhood and joy.  The goddess Bastet is seen as a symbol of protection from both evil spirits and disease - particularly diseases associated with women and children. She also has an important role in the afterlife, according to Egyptian beliefs, and is the one who guides and helps the dead. Since the earliest recorded centuries, the Bastet cat was viewed as a bestower of fertility and protection against dark forces. Even now, the...

One of our most popular products is the "I Love You" cartouche pendant. The hieroglyphs on this cartouche are phonetic (representing sounds) so when translated, the symbols pronounce ILUVYU. The shape of the cartouche signifies 'encircling protection for eternity'.     

Our owner Steve Collins, traveled to Cairo in 1979 to tour the Middle East with his college friend David. In the 3 month trip, they bought hand-crafts and jewelry along the way with the hopes of bringing their treasures back home to sell them and help pay for their trip.  Now, more than 40 years later, Steve is still at it!  He lives in the US, but he spends a good part of his year traveling to Egypt to find new treasures. Over the years, he has made relationships with artisans in Egypt that are as close as family.  Steve...

Running a successful Egyptian import business means making connections with your staff. It also means that Steve, our founder, speaks fluent Arabic.Our Cairo office is managed by 3 Egyptians who have been working with us for over 25 years! We consider them as close as family and Steve talks with them daily. We really appreciate and care deeply for these men and their families.Hassan Gouda, Hassan Attiya, and Nasr Mahtouk manage orders with our vendors, receive and check the quality of our goods, and create shipments for export. They grew up in Faiyum (an Oasis west of Cairo), but live...