Silk Industry … Coastal Natural Heritage

Lattakia, (ST) – Natural silk industry is an archaeological treasure in the Syrian coast. This industry is one of the most important images of coastal natural heritage where mulberry trees are the sole source of food for the silk worm.

Despite the decline in the number of natural silk workers over the years, but that this heritage situation in the Syrian coastal countryside generally documents a history extends for hundreds of years.

Faisal Abdullah Zeidan is known for his interest in natural silk starting the cultivation of mulberry trees until selling the pieces of silk such as handkerchiefs and silk shirts. His trip with this heritage industry began when he was carrying reels of silk to his father, and goes with him to the neighboring villages to produce silk from silkworm larvae.

Since that time, the work has based on the same method. The process starts breeding silkworms and taking care of them. It is necessary to protect them from insects, birds and rodents, high heat or extreme cold and other factors that affect their lives or their production,” Zeidan said.

“We take care of this worms inside mud houses or inside the house that is supplied with moderate temperature,” he continued.

Zidane connects between the gold and Silk industry that both of them  don’t accept any chemical or petroleum materials pointing out that silk is featured with its color. Silk production was of agro-industrial economic activities that achieve a rewarding profit to some rural Syrian families, but according to Zidane this profession began extinction gradually since the seventies where there was no market, but locally within the village or on the scope of the neighboring villages.

He pointed out that the mother or grandmother was weaving silk handkerchiefs that were offered as a valuable gift for her daughter or for the bride of her son. Presenting such silk handkerchiefs and shirts are considered one of the most important and valuable gifts in the Syrian coast.

Despite the decline in this industry, it returned to become popular in all traditional fairs and exhibitions taking place in the city of Lattakia and other Syrian cities.

Aziza Abdullah, aged about 85 years, working in the silk embroidery for decades, confirmed that she taught her daughters and wives of her sons’ silk embroidery through winding the silk on reels.

Mona Ibrahim, one of the young women who work in the craft of silk embroidery pointed to the women’s interest, despite the diversity of fabrics, in acquisition of silk artifacts to their knowledge of the value of this heritage product and because of the age of any piece of silk that may extend for more than twenty years.

Sharif al -Khatib