The sight of drones hovering over the GrEEk Campus Saturday afternoon alerted passers-by in Downtown Cairo to the fact that something out of the ordinary was happening.

A drone flies over the Greek Campus

Inside, some 8,000 visitors from across Egypt and the Middle East converged to explore exhibitions, workshops, discussions and live performances celebrating the do-it-yourself spirit of what the organizer’s describe as “maker culture.”

Visitors capture photos of a drone flying inside the Maker Faire

Following a mini-Maker Faire last year, Saturday’s event was the first official Maker Faire in Egypt, making it part of series of events that has attracted more than 2.3 million attendees around the world since launching in California in 2006.

13-year-old Ahmed Mahmoud shows off a mobile phone controlled robot, while his young companion displays more freeform talents

While the event gave plenty of opportunity for computer whiz-kids to show off their creations, the fair was also intended to demonstrate that it’s not just engineering students who can be makers. “The idea is to get together, share ideas and learning with others and inspire them to become makers,” said Ahmed Gad, business development manager of Fab Lab Egypt, one of the event organizors.

Cake Pops crafted by FroGoodies

“Do you cook? Do you fix your own electricity?” asked Gad. “Then you are a maker.”

Caption: Laser-cut wooden light fixtures created by Polygon

In line with this ethos, the 150 exhibitors attending ranged from teenagers with science projects to small businesses selling handmade jewelry and sweets.

Kareem, Ziad and Mostafa, the Arduino Arab team, built a machine that can draw any word typed into a computer

Visitors try out an Oculus virtual reality headset

The event hosted a smattering of slick displays from corporate sponsors, but for the most part hewed to a scrappy, do-it-yourself aesthetic.

Children play table soccer with remote-controlled robots

Children test-drive an under-water robot built by engineering undergraduates from Alexandria University

With a special section for kids and a host of hands-on activities, the Faire attracted makers and future makers of all ages, creating a cheerful, if somewhat frenetic atmosphere. Cosplay enthusiasts also made their presence felt, with a mini-summit and workshops on making the intricate costumes.

Cosplayers mingled with the crowd showing off their elaborate costumes

Like any event in its first year, the event had a few hiccups: far more people wanted to attend workshops than there was space for, resulting in a bit of a mob-scene outside the door, and the organizers seemed ill prepared for light rain showers, despite several rainy days in the weeks that preceded the event.

ISheeld’s Khloyd Mohamed shows off a candy-grab machine that was unfortunately rendered inoperable by rain

Still, it was an uplifting event — showcasing a broad array of creative talent and inspiring would-be makers of all ages — and a genuinely nice day out, despite the grey weather.

Cube art of Mortada Mansour and El Nazar created by the Master Crafter community

For those who missed it this time around, the organizers say they are already planning on holding a second edition next year.