CAIRO: With about a month left until the start of the holy month of Ramadan, the Egyptian lantern-making business is in full swing at workshops in the Taht Al-Rabaa area near Cairo’s Al-Azhar district.

The most popular national item in the festive season is the metallic lantern that features different shapes printed on glass. Other lanterns are made using fabric and wood.

Their production begins at least two months before Ramadan, with each workshop known for making lanterns in a specific shape.

Ahmed Abdel Nasser, the owner of a workshop in the Al-Hussein area, said: “The most expensive lanterns are about two meters high and are produced according to demand. However, the rising cost of raw materials has caused a price increase for lanterns in the market this year.”

Fadi Sayed, a lantern maker in the area, complained about the lack of sales, saying that customers come to see lanterns but often do not buy an item “because of the economic crisis and the high prices.”

Customers prefer lower-priced Chinese lanterns instead, he added, noting the higher cost of materials and labor in the production of Egyptian-made items.

Hana Tawhid, a housewife and mother of two, used to buy Ramadan supplies such as lanterns and mattresses from the Taht Al-Rabaa area. This year, however, she opted for plastic lanterns, which cost no more than 50 Egyptian pounds ($1.7) each.

To provide an affordable alternative to pricey imported gifts and lanterns, the Egyptian government, through the National Council for Women, conducted a workshop to train women in the manufacturing of Ramadan lanterns using beads.

Malls, hotels and offices are decorated at night with the colorful lanterns, known as fanous in Arabic.

The fanous has become a worldwide symbol that represents the holy month.