Insider Business: Still Standing

Olive oil soap has been produced in the West Bank for centuries, but today, only two soap factories remain. We filmed with the Nablus Soap Company in January.

At 86 years old, Giorgos Hatziparaskos is one of the last bakers in Greece making phyllo pastry by hand. With the help of his wife and son, he keeps the business going thanks to tourists visiting the Greek island of Crete. Giorgos Hatziparaskos Handmade Phyllo Workshop is located in the heart of old town in Rethymno.

Rogan art has been passed down in the Khatri family for eight generations. Now, with no tourists visiting due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the business has slowed, and the survival of this centuries-old craft is under threat.

Salama Salem has been running his traditional dyehouse in Egypt since 1975. Despite falling demand due to industrial competition and the COVID-19 pandemic, he’s determined to keep one of the country’s oldest dyehouses still standing.