Syrian Traditional Handicrafts Revived in Lattakia
“Heritage is the memory of peoples which reflects our ancestors’ hope, happiness, sadness and sufferings and gives us an irrefutable connection to the past . Heritage is a person’s unique, inherited sense of family identity: the values, traditions, culture, and handicrafts handed down by previous generations” Eng. Rabab Wardeh head of the Rural Women Empowerment Department at Lattakia’s Directorate of agriculture said in an interview with the Syriatimes e-newspaper .
She stressed that Syria is famous for its deep-rooted traditional handicrafts which should be revived because they are not only a civilizational legacy of its people but also a humanitarian one.
Eng. Wardeh indicated that the Rural Women Empowerment Department at the agriculture ministry has a special strategy to revive handicrafts in all governorates, adding rural women are leading important efforts to safeguard and revive Syria’s cultural heritage but they need to be given opportunities to unleash their potential,”
“Lattakia is an agricultural and touristic governorate and it is important to focus on reviving traditional handicrafts with the use of modern technologies to reflect the culture, history and memory of this governorate” she expressed .
Eng. Wardeh pointed out “ our goal at the Rural Women’s Empowerment Department is to attract a number of rural women from different regions of Lattakia’s countryside and carry out training workshops to revive these traditional handicrafts and preserve them from extinction”.
“ The traditional handicrafts which we seek to revive include pottery products , olive oil soap, wood inlaid with shells, Etamin ( a cotton or worsted fabric of loose weave ) , embroidery, various silk products, straw, bamboo , rug manufacturing , porcelain and ceramic in addition to food industries ” she made it clear.
Eng. Wardeh emphasized that exhibitions are social and economic opportunities for rural women to exchange expertise and experiences, promote and market their products in addition to encourage the new generation to learn and preserve these ancient heritage crafts.
“Women in general, and rural women in particular, are symbols of giving, renewal, and life, and are able to achieve success from the womb of despair. Rural women exist in the countryside to achieve, give, and innovate. My ambition is to create a trend for rural women’s products “ Eng. Wardeh concluded.
The Rural Women Empowerment Department has recently held a training workshop on making straw dishes with the participation of 30 women to highlight and revive this ancient traditional craft.
“Heritage is essential in our lives. Our country is rich in heritage. Despite all the challenges to obliterate our deep-rooted heritage, there are many attempts to preserve and revive it , especially the traditional handicrafts” the trainer of the workshop, Da’ad Asaad told Syriatimes e-newspaper.
She stressed that she chose straw because it gives us the smell of wheat, the smell of our country, and the scent of the past.
“ the seven-day workshop , which included 30 women of different educational specializations such as engineers, lawyers and doctors, focused on the importance of returning to nature and benefiting from everything in it, in addition to reviving this traditional handicraft” Asaad said .
She pointed out that “I learned this craft from my late mother, in addition to using new techniques and ideas, and I chose to be the supervisor of this workshop as a dedication to her soul ”.
“ The training workshop is a message to confirm our belonging and pride in our heritage, nostalgia for the past and a call to return back to nature” Da’ad expresssed.
The Rural Women’s Empowerment Department opens wide horizons to encourage and support rural women through providing them loans , enhancing their skills and their role in society and empower them economically .
Interviewed by : Rawaa Ghanam
Photos by : Rawaa Ghana