The importance of charcoal to the Egyptian economy can hardly be overstated. It is used to fuel furnaces, forges, casting boxes, and glazier's benches, to name just a few. Nearly every major industry in Egypt relies, on some level, upon buildings that run on charcoal.
Charcoal is also an ingredient in gunpowder and ink, both of which are made in a kitchen.
Charcoal is created by burning wood, and occurs as a natural residue of bonfires. Deliberate mass production of charcoal is typically performed on a Charcoal Oven or its smaller cousin, the Charcoal Hearth.