Heritage industries to the front… Establishing a craft complex, training courses and marketing exhibitions  

The Oriental Craft Society in Damascus seeks to introduce the diverse products of craftsmen, which include traditional handmade heritage industries such as glass, wood, textile and metal products, in order to achieve a rewarding economic return for those working in these industries.

Fouad Arbash, head of the Oriental Craft Association, Damascus, said in a statement to SANA that their products include blowing and forming glass, interlacing, shells, mosaics, brocade fabrics, damesco, rugs, metal and stone products, accessories and traditional jewelry.

He noted the importance of supporting the marketing process by holding internal festivals and familiarizing people with diverse and rich products and working to increase the presence of our products in foreign exhibitions in cooperation with ministries and relevant authorities to publicize them and support the export process.

Arbash pointed out that there are 400 registered craftsmen in the association in addition to a large number of non-affiliates.

“Work is currently underway to establish a craft complex in the Bab Sharqi area to collect the largest number of heritage crafts and provide support for their work, as the majority of craftsmen currently work in random, sporadic places near Damascus, such as Al-Dawila and Al-Tabbaleh. The association works in cooperation with the Ministry of Industry to hold free training courses aimed at attracting the young generation from 18 to 35 years, preserving these occupations and compensating for the lack of skilled craftsmen.” He concluded.

For her part, the Kishani craft trainer Hiba Saleh explained that a three-month training course had been held, with 60 trainees graduating  from the Bab Sharqi center of the Craftsmen’s Complex (Khan Al-Zujaj) for five basic crafts, namely ceramics, faience, jewelry, traditional ornaments and applying enamel on glass and Ajami (plant drawing on wood).

“An exhibition will soon be held with products made by trainees during which certified certificates from the Craft Association and the Ministry of Industry will be distributed.” She added, noting that these courses will continue to be held where a course for five other professions will be announced in advance.

Craftsman Maamoun Al-Hallaq, who works in  wood lathing craft, said that he produces all wooden heritage pieces by hand and markets his products through indoor exhibitions held by the Craft Association. He pointed out that there are difficulties impeding the development of the work, some of which are the high prices of raw materials, especially beech wood, where the price of one cubic meter is up to SYP 3 million in addition to the shortage of energy.

Amal Farhat