Can a spinning pottery wheel help you clear your mind of worries? An art form, a way to relax, and a form of connection, pottery-making has been a mainstay of human practice for centuries.

BACK IN THE DAY- Molding clay into bowls, pots, and plates for both functional and decorative purposes used to be the task of dedicated artisans with years of training — and to a large extent still is. But workshops and courses across the capital city have made the artform accessible to anyone interested in exploring the craft.

Pottery can be great for your mental health: Beyond the inherent satisfaction of bringing your own creation to life, some studies have found that interacting with clay can help treat depression and boost overall well-being. Working with clay, like a number of other forms of art, has shown some promise in reducing symptoms of PTSD when combined with traditional therapy.

Pottery wheels to try out in the Greater Cairo Area:

#1- Fokhara Studiooffers a variety of courses geared towards teaching adults and kids everything they need to know to channel their creativity into making the ceramic objects of their dreams. A full 36-hour-long crash course teaches students the fundamentals of handbuilding and wheel throwing — including specific instructions on how to design, shape and glaze ceramic objects. If you want to dabble before committing to a 12-week program, Fokhara also offers single-day weekend workshops where students can expect to get a taste of basic handbuilding techniques.

WHERE- Villa 313, Yasmin 1, First Settlement, New Cairo.

THE PRICE TAG- Full, 12 week long courses (divided into a single three hour session each week) will run you EGP 7.7k to 9k. Shorter, single-day courses will cost you about EGP 750 per person.

#2- Abuzeid Ceramics: Head down to the epicenter of Cairo pottery-making in Al Fustat and try out a workshop with seasoned pottery maker Mohamed Abuzeid at Abuzeid Ceramics. The Tunis Village-raised pottery-maker teaches beginner workshops at his studio where you can expect to be introduced to learn about the history of our varied local pottery styles, handbuilding, and throwing clay as well as glazing and firing techniques.

WHERE –Potter’s Village, Old Cairo.

THE PRICE TAG- The beginner’s ceramics course will run you EGP 3k for four, three-hour sessions.

#3- Darb1718: Among the many workshops on offer atmultidisciplinary arts and culture center Darb1718 is a recurring single-day pottery workshop hosted by Hakeem Sayed, a ceramics veteran and general manager of the Traditional Crafts Center at the Culture Ministry. At Sayed’s workshop you’ll get to learn things like how to mold clay forms, create new shapes and make engravings. Expect to take home at least seven pottery pieces of your own creation by the end of the workshop (just as you prepare for the Christmas / holiday season).

WHERE- 159 Kasr Al Shama’e, Kom Ghorab, Old Cairo.

THE PRICE TAG- Sayed’s workshops run once a week on either Saturday or Wednesdays from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm and will cost you EGP 400 per session.

#4- Pottery Art Zone: This Zamalek-based art space offers workshops for kids and adults in a variety of artistic disciplines but their most frequent offerings focus on pottery.

Pottery Art Zone’s Level one bilingual beginner’s workshop teaches students the basics of hand-building items like plates and mugs. Students will also learn about tools and materials used in the hand building process. Level two courses at Pottery Art Zone focus on reliefs and how to decorate your pottery, while level three dives into manual glazing techniques.

WHERE- 2A Taha Hussein Street, Zamalek, Nile Towers, second floor.

THE PRICE TAG- Their most basic one day pottery workshop, which focuses on basic hand-building techniques, will run you EGP 500. A full 10-hour level one beginner’s course is EGP 2.5k, while a level three beginner’s course costs some EGP 2.8k.

#5- Ibrahim Samir Pottery: If you’re looking to get out of the city, check out veteran potter Ibrahim Samir’s workshop in Tunis Village, where one of the country’s most distinct ceramics styles was born.

Samir offers flexible workshops that can be tailored to your availability and needs. Here you can find quick 30-minute sessions where you get to mold your own bowl or box or you can also bump it up a notch and come back for an additional session where you get color and decorate your creation.

There’s also the option of taking longer six-hour sessions where you’ll learn about materials, throwing, glazing and shaping techniques. Samir recommends at least a couple of 6 hour sessions per month (in addition to practice at home) for the aspiring potter to really shine.

WHERE- Tunis Village, Fayoum.

THE PRICE TAG- A single 20-30 minute session will run you about EGP 100. Two sessions will cost you EGP 250 and a more comprehensive 6-hour session is EGP 600.

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