The oldest Herb shop in Al-Hasakah … An inherited experience in Herbs

Al-Hasakah,(ST)-Like all folklore stories, the stories of herbs are often seen as myths. They are scattered everywhere and their markets remain one of the stories of the heritage.

The “al-Hamwiya” market in the heart of Al-Hasaka province is one of these markets that includes the oldest shops of spices and herbs in the city. All who enter Al-Hamwiya market from its southern side are received by the smell emitted from the shops and by the various aromatic substances, wild herbs and vegetable oils that some are used for medical treatment.

“In the middle of the market, the shop of Abu Akram is located as the oldest store that sells herbs and spices in the city, which still serves the people since the sixties of last century, as Ayman Al-Hussein, who inherited the work from his father, says. Al-Hussein pointed out that the store provides various types of wild herbs that grow in the province of Hasaka, such as wild thyme, chamomile, and Hermel wormwood and flowers of all kinds, in addition to the presence of a varieties of spices, and oils extracted from various plants.

 Al-Hussein stressed the importance of eating plants, herbs, vegetables and fruits because of their nutritional, preventive and therapeutic value, indicating that knowing the characteristics of each herb is an important thing because there are poisonous herbs similar to some medicinal wild herbs, and only an expert can distinguishes them.

Doctor Mohamed Hassani said the importance that herbalist should have scientific experience and hold certificates in herbal science, methods of storage, benefits and harms, pointing out that it is wrong to rely randomly on herbs for medication because there are serious and chronic diseases that need chemical treatment.

Many of the customers of Abu Akram store attribute the reasons for resorting to herbal medication to their belief in natural products in treating their simple illnesses. This is confirmed by Maryam Al-Hussein, who says, “she used to treat the symptoms of cold and regular flu with herbs,” noting that she also resorts to the herbalist to buy some cosmetic herbs for her skin and hair.

Haifaa Mafalani