Narrator: For 600 years,
this machine has been heating and shaping
traditional fez hats in Cairo.
But businesses like this nearly disappeared
when the Egyptian government banned this kind of headwear
in the 1950s,
part of a sweeping push for modernization.
Today, Nasser Abd El-Baset is one
of the only fez makers left in Cairo.
We visited his shop to see
how his 130-year-old business is still standing.
For over four decades,
Nasser has been crafting
what was once a symbol of Ottoman life.
Narrator: Every single one is custom-made.
The first step is to build the structure of the hat.
Nasser uses woven straw to craft the base.
Narrator: He sprays it with water
to make it more malleable.
Narrator: To get the right shape,
he uses these copper molds.
They're more than six centuries old.
Narrator: Nasser says
they once tried to make new machines
but couldn't find any factories
that still manufacture the right parts.
The inside is lined with green or blue silk.
Then it's time to shape the signature red felt.
Narrator: There are several types of fezzes.
The difference in design depends on who is wearing it.
And each one has its own mold —
some named after Ottoman rulers.
Narrator: Right now, Nasser is making an Azhar fez.
It's been worn by Islamic scholars and imams for centuries.
Narrator: The machine reaches
up to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Figuring out just the right temperature
for each hat is a delicate dance.
Narrator: Nasser glues the felt and straw together,
and then his son Mohammad handles the finishing touches.
Colored tassels used to signify different professions.
This white fabric is unique to the Azhar fez.
Today, it's a more traditional look
reserved for religious leaders,
but the fez was once much more widespread.
It was a defining symbol of the entire Ottoman Empire
that rose to power in the 14th century
and controlled large swaths of Europe, Africa,
and the Middle East at its peak.
In the early 19th century,
Sultan Mahmud II wanted to modernize society
by phasing out the turban and requiring all Ottoman men
to wear the fez instead.
So people who preferred sticking to tradition
began wrapping a turban around a fez,
similar to the Azhar style Nasser makes today.
But by the time the Ottoman Empire fell in 1922,
the fez was considered old-fashioned.
Turkey's first president wanted to westernize his people
by replacing the traditional Ottoman headpiece
with the European top hat.
And by 1925,
wearing a fez in Turkey was punishable by a month in prison.
But most Egyptians still embraced fez styles
well into the 1950s.
That's until Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser,
seen here wearing a military fez,
banned them in 1958 after leading the revolution.
Narrator: Nasser mostly sells
to Islamic studies professors,
religious leaders, and movie producers.
Today, it's just Nasser and his son running the shop.
They can make up to 100 fezzes in a day,
but usually, orders are well under that.
But he remembers hearing stories about a time
when business was booming.
Narrator: Still, Nasser is preserving a craft
that not many wanted to continue.
Narrator: And customers can rest assured
that his son plans to carry on his legacy.