“Syria.. History and Civilizations” festival Kicked off in Damascus

The cultural event , which  is organized by the General Union of Craftsmen and will last until the end of this month, aims at introducing the competitive capabilities of the  Syrian traditional crafts, ensuring opportunities to export products made by the participating artisans and to finance their micro-projects.

 The festival includes daily workshops and symposiums on  the participating  crafts such as coppersmiths, woodcarving, fashion design, oriental arts, handicrafts in addition to training courses , heritage concerts and honoring a number of talented and productive craftsmen of the martyrs’ families and wounded personnel. 

 

Head of the General Union of Craftsmen, Naji Al-Hadawa, stressed in a statement to SANA the importance of the participating traditional  crafts  in the festival, which reflects the deep-rooted  cultural heritage of Syria, ensures  marketing opportunities for the craftsmen to contribute to supporting the national economy and pays attention to skilled craftsmen for Increasing  production and the continuity of these crafts.

For his part, Head of (CISTA)   Lou’ay Shekko explained that the aim of the festival is to introduce these crafts to  visitors and Syrian youth , in addition to prepare for courses, exhibitions and specialized festivals that will be organized during the summer.

 

Hassan Badenjaki, head of the Regional Office of  Produced Families and  Traditional Industries in Syria, confirmed that the office supported many craft projects, including the Jasmine flower project participating in the festival. 

 

For his part, Director of Operations at Banque Bemo Saudi Fransi for Microfinance, Ali Aswad, indicated that the bank  supported  craft projects and provided  the necessary financing for them through granting them operational loans.

 

 The participant, Abeer Asaad, who works in the craft of weaving wool, indicated that the festival is a great opportunity for her to market her products, while Nagham Al-Hashmeh, who works in the field of accessories and started her project four years ago, drew attention to the facilities provided to her by various parties that helped her expand her project and market her  products.

 

Dr. Ibrahim Al-Dahesh, representative of the Arab Tribal Union, indicated that the festival reflects  Syria’s civilization through  preserving and promoting heritage crafts.