Artizana Syria Hand Made project has recently organized  a cultural activity under the title  “Let us  revive our ancestors’  heritage”  at Sheraton Damascus  Hotel  to introduce a number of Syrian traditional handicrafts to children including those with disabilities. 

The event  , which was held on the occasion of Christmas and New Year,  aimed at encouraging children to search for details about  these Syrian old  handicrafts  to learn about the history and  civilization  of their ancestors as well as  the creativity of  Syrians, according to  Head of the Craftsmen Union Naji Al-Hadwah.  

He stressed in a statement to  SANA  the importance of cultural activities and the importance of directing them at  the new generation by motivating   them to  use up-to-date Information Technology  to  find out  information  about  heritage topics , so introducing  their  deep-rooted cultural heritage and the possibility of learning some  handicrafts  in the future  to be creative  artisans. 

President of the Federation of Syrian Chambers of Tourism, Muhammad Khaddour, highlighted  that the Syrian handicrafts are among the most distinguished professions in the world as  they enjoy wide interest at  exhibitions and marketing platforms. 

He stressed that top priority  should  be continued by re-marketing them abroad and preserving them by teaching them to children and adolescents because they are the future generation. 

“ Artizana  Hand Made Project seeks to support and protect  Syrian crafts and enhance  their  presence at all levels   to preserve the cultural heritage which  reflects the  Syrian deep-rooted history” according to Head of Artizana project Hala AlKinayeh. 

She pointed out that  Artizana Hand Made  project continues  with concerned bodies  to carry out activities on reviving heritage handicrafts due to their  importance in enhancing Syrian heritage authenticity  and  seeks  to support young craftsmen by opening new marketing platforms  outside the local market to support and motivate them to achieve a wider spread of their authentic crafts. 

In turn,   artisan  Marwa Bitar indicated that her participation in the event came through displaying decorative pieces and models engraved with copper as  she introduced  to children  the mechanism of work directly, the colors of copper, methods of its manufacture and the mechanism of engraving on it. 

Through his participation in the Damascene painting craft, which dates back more than 1,400 years, Maher Bouzo emphasized the need to introduce  ancient crafts to children with the aim of preserving  the Syrian heritage, calling for the inclusion of extensive information on Syrian crafts in the curricula of the Ministry of Education to inform future generations about the heritage of their ancestors. 

Participant Ahmed Shakaki considered that the Damascene brocade profession, which he has been working on for more than 50 years, is a Damascene identity that should be saved to  the memory of the new generation. 

According to   Emily Farah, her  participation in the  cultural event  provided  an opportunity to display her handicraft products of ceramics and pottery and introduce children to a craft dating back more than 4 thousand years.  

During the event, the children got acquainted with the craft of mosaic,  engraving and inlay with seashell  presented by craftsman Salah Al-Badawi,  who underlined that  this craft, like other handicrafts, needs patience and precision and it is popular in the market because it produces decorative pieces, household furniture and hospitality packages. 

Artisan Talal Al-Badawi, who specializes in engraving with Arabic thread and engraving on wood, pointed out that the event contributed to the exchange of ideas between the craftsmen and  teaching  children who interacted with love and passion with them.  

He  appreciated  Artizana project’s  efforts  to support handicrafts and introduce them. 

The event was accompanied by a number of activities  including  competitions, games, artistic and musical performances for children.   

It is noteworthy that the "Artizana  Syria Hand Made Project  was established in 2010 and  carried out  a number of activities aimed at promoting  Syrian handicrafts and highlighting the importance of Syria’s cultural heritage in  the local and international community.  

Rawaa Ghanam