Global Ecovillage Network/Solution Library/Countryside bench (mastabadika)

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Providing an outdoor place for sitting and socializing between neighbors in the fresh air. A wooden or built in sofa placed outside houses in the countryside.

In many traditional houses in the Egyptian countryside you can find a sofa next to the entrance door of the house. This sofa is either wooden or built with bricks or mud. The owner of the house places traditional rugs on this sofa. Its called in the Egyptian slang dika/ mastaba/ kanabah. People relax on this sofa. It is usually men who sit there. It is possible to find the owner of the house sitting chatting with his sons, relatives or neighbors. Being outside of the house, the dika also provides a good opportunity for sitting in the night summer breezes, during sunset or in the mornings.

Also in winter, people sit there for enjoying the sun. Its a simple piece of furniture linked to the Egyptian tradition and preserving it is a good solution for connecting neighbors and members of the community.