Papyrus is made from th Cyperus papyrus plant. This plant grows very well along the Neil River bank. It can reach up to about 12 ~ 15 feet tall. The stems of the Cyperus papyrus plant are triangular in shape, the ancient Egyptians started making paper from the papyrus plant five thousand years ago. Onetime is was the major export of Egypt. The modern word "paper" originated from the word "papyrus". The word papyrus refers to a thick paper-like material made from the pith pf the papyrus stem. Papyrus is first know to have been used in ancient Egypt. They were first manufactured in Egypt and southern Sudan as far back as the fourth millennium BCE. The earliest archaeological evidence of papyrus was excavated on the Red sea coast. The modern technique of papyrus production used in Egypt for the tourist trade was developed in 1962 by the Egyptian engineer Hassan Ragab using plants that has been reintroduced into Egypt in 1872 from France.Papyrus is still used by communities in the vicinity of swamps. particularly in East and Central Africa. People used papyrus to make baskets, hats, fish traps, trays and floor mat. Of course it can also be used for Painting like the one we show here.