Handmade and handy crafts in Syria are a long deeprooted record and a part of the eastern esthetic culture; after all they are legacy from grandfathers to sons then to grandsons.
It is a culture of hundred years which offered humanity the most amazing Arabic and Islamic arts in industry and minuteness in performance. There are many markets for it such as the handy crafts market in Altakeya in Damascus, The city market in Aleppo, building ships in Lattakia and so many other traditional markets in Syria.
Handy crafts and handmades has so varied according to the changable and varied Syrian culture besides the multiple basic substances with which every territory is known for. So many kinds of theses crafts there are, like wood,pottery,glassy, ivory, accessories,fabric, weaving and Damascus brocar, mozayeak, Arabesic and Alkashani which have stunned all the world.
Syrian Artisan and craftmen has produce to the world the best they learnt and inherited from their ancestors impressing the whole world with their simple tools over the passing ages despite what Syria had gone through history of wars standing still strong and alive, but where is it now?
Syria has not experienced such harsh years like the ones nowadays we are living; war has not left or save any thing so that it affectes greatly these crafts and handmades whether for being rarely exist or being about to gone forever completely.So many factors played role in this case for instance the migration of many craftmen outside Syria particularly Turkey where they can not continue to work this craft specially if it is specified by one family as it is the case of handmades in Damascus. Or it is due to the big decrease of labours who are expert in work which took craftman long years to acquire such skills. This decrease is also because of taking it outside the country for labours wages have doubled tens time where it becomes difficult to offer that wages in the lack of markets to sell that artistic products; the thing pushed labours to search for who offer them these wages outside the country. Also the high prices and difficult economical circumstances of Syria made the needed basic substances are difficult to find.
We can not forget the fires which took place in many markets since they are located in conflict and engagements fields also had ruined many old shops with the goods in where sometimes these fires ruined them completely. This occurred in Damascus markets besides Aleppo old ones that destroyed more than 1000 shops.
Although these handmades has gone in Syria, it flourishs in another places outside particularly Turkey which attracted many labours and craftmen who moved their workshops there for they recieved financial and psychologicsl stability away from war.
War has affected on so many crafts to the extent they are about to extinct, but has brought some crafts and tools that are hardly used in the crisis such ovens that work on wood not fuel specially after the raising prices of fuel besides hay handmades and lamps on oil which are required in times of war.
Despite all those circumstances happening in Syria, Syrian handmades and handy crafts that are known for beig unique and very special with their historical taste and artistic amazing touch will continue to be an example and one of trueborn art References; after all they are not only crafts but public stories and history of a family in addition to being bequeathed Characteristics that give every handmade the qualities to distinguish it from others crafts.
by Asmaa Alabbed
Translated by Sabah Najem
#Syrian_Press_Center
