Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. Iron is one of the most common elements on Earth, making up about 5% of the Earth's crust. Most of this iron is found in various iron oxides such as the minerals. Iron is a metal extracted from iron ore. Iron is the most used of all the metals due to low cost and and high strength over all other metals. The first sign of iron use come from the ancient Egyptians. The period from 10 to 12th century called the iron age. During the iron age. Egypt switched using bronze to iron on large scale. Iron is not found as the free metal in nature. The most common ore is iron oxide. Iron is found in other minerals such as magnetite. The core of the earth is composed largely of iron. Iron is the fourth most abundant element by weight in the earth's crust. Iron is a very common element and in Egypt iron ores occur in the mountainous areas of the eastern desert and Sinai. Archaeological evidence suggests that people have been using iron for at least 5000 years. The first signs of iron use was in ancient Egypt. Iron was more expensive than all other metals. iron was widely used in ancient Egypt but did not replace bronze for long time. Wrought iron has successfully competed with bronze for prominence since about 4000 BC and it eventually replaced the high quality bronze. It took over bronze in the manufacture of swords, axe heads, plows and other items of general use. The principal weapon of the Egyptian army was the iron bow and iron arrow .The earliest known production of steel occurred around 1400 BC. The Egyptian ruler Tutankamoun was buried with an iron dagger. Wrought iron has been used in building from the earliest days of civilization, wrought iron door furniture being commonplace in Roman times. The structural use or iron dates from the Middle Ages, when bars of wrought iron would be used occasionally to tie masonry arches and domes. Egyptians mixed iron with carbon with a process called carburization to end up with a new metal called wrought iron. In another words, wrought iron is economically pure iron having a small carbon content. Wrought iron has been used for thousands of years. Ornamental ironwork is always referred to as wrought iron. Wrought iron means worked iron in the old English language. Ancient Egyptians found that much harder iron can be created by long heating the wrought iron in a bed of charcoal. A temperature of around 1500 Centigrade is necessary to cause iron to melt. Ancient Egyptians could not cast iron but they utilize a temperature as low as 900 Centigrade in a charcoal furnace to separate iron from its ore. The resultant metal being denser falls to the bottom of the furnace and forms slag. All in all iron is the cheapest and most abundant, useful, and important of all metals. Egypt Gift Shops offers a wide variety of beautiful classic and contemporary hand-crafted designs. All work is hand forged in our factory in Alexandria, Egypt by the best forgers in the world. These items are comfortable, decorative and durable especially in outdoor environment. We offer this high quality handmade fer forge work at affordable prices. Egypt Gift Shops is dedicated to the traditional work of blacksmiths. We hand-shape each piece one by one. Our most popular finish is distressed aged look rust " Natural Finish". Other hand-applied paint finishes are also available. Iron has a fabulous continuity and is currently becoming very popular. It fits in with anything, and it makes that anything look better. We use the best materials. Solid iron is not the easiest material to work with But, no matter what, our high skilled blacksmiths always get it right, with no other tools than a kiln and a hammer. If you would like any decorative assistance, we offer free consulting for commercial and residential, interior and exterior work.