“Our Tourism is Our Wealth” exhibition to preserve our handcrafts

An exhibition, entitled “Our Tourism is Our Wealth” , which was organized by The National Society for Tourism Development in Syria , opened on Sunday At the Arab cultural center in Abou Rummaneh in Damascus.

The five-day event includes photos of tourist places that depict our heritage besides natural products, such as apple molasses, grapes, pottery, raisins, natural silk, sweet and sour grape juice ..etc. 

The products have been made in several governorates and they are displayed in the exhibition to market them. 

The opening ceremony of the exhibition was preceded by a lecture made by researcher Dr. Reem Al-Latrashon Syrian silk. She talked about the history of silk and ways to preserve and develop this handcraft.

Zakka Izzet Al-Kahal, the organizer of the exhibition told Syria Times e-newspaper: “The exhibition is the first activity that was held by the National Society for Tourism Development in Syria. It includes silk products and traditional items such as pottery and the products made by rural families”.

“The exhibition also includes photos captured by 12 amateur and professional photographers depicting tourist places that we visited during our tours,” Al-Kahal added .

The aim of the exhibition is to shed light on the Syrian heritage, especially Syrian silk, and to revive this industry, display and market it directly,” she stated.

 Participant Bilal Al- Masri , showcased photographs depicting handcrafts from our heritage in our Syrian countryside. His goal is to encourage tourism and handicrafts such as handmade carpets and silk and protect them. 

Another participant Maysaa Shehab¸ showed Syrian natural landscapes to support tourism and revive heritage , also she took photos of local products, archaeological sites.

For her part, Em Suhail , showed handmade pottery pans and saucers. She participated in the exhibition to preserve the heritage, and she hopes that all people would return to use the pottery cookware sets  because they are healthy and preserve our heritage of our ancestors.

Sahar Himmisha, the executive director of the National Society for Tourism Development in Syria said : “The exhibition is the outcome of our tourism tours in Syria to support tourism, heritage, and promote handicrafts”.

“Our goals are to market these products and preserve them through encouraging people to go back to these handicrafts” she concluded

Reported by : Nada Haj Khidr