The Damascene Sabot (1)

Which clacking sound has vanished from Damascus neighborhoods

Since ancient times, the sabot has appeared as a Damascene handcrafts along with many other occupations,  reviving civilization in the oldest inhabited town in history which did not stop at any time through history but extended to manufacture passed down from father to son  over hundreds of years and have rooted them to their homeland.

The sabot making is only one of many productions that was Damascus branded,  and has a specific market located south of the Umayyad Mosque known as “Souk Alkabakib”  (sabots souk).   From that ancient marketplace, sabots  have been carried to different destinations like Egypt,  Beirut and Istanbul; despite the existence of skilled artisans in these countries but not as talented and skilled as Damascenes.

Usually,  wood from walnut, apricot, raspberry, and willow trees is used in sabot fabrication.  While in Damascus,  they are made of willow or poplar wood because of these trees large numbers in Damascus. Damascene sabot artisans cut the wood into a wedge shape, then carve human foot form on the demanded size.  Next, comes the process of dismantling and eliminating of the external sides, and sawmilling by lapping to remove extra wood from the sabot’s front and rear.  After that the sabot heel is  formed,  before the smoothing process which makes the sabot burnished in preparation for coating. Finally, a band made of leather skin is fixed in the sabot front by special nails, which comes in different colors and sometimes dovetailed by bones, beads or tin chains.

Sabots were put on inside and outside home, used by adults as well as kids, especially in winter days having a skin strip surrounding the feet instep. Whereas sabots made for women have an aesthetic function,  as they increase their height raising their dress away from the floor. Women used to wear sabots in celebrations,  being a principal component of the bridal wardrobe to the extent of having up to 30 pairs each for specific occasion.  While sabots manufactured for children are decorated with appealing shapes and bright colors,  on the other hand men sabots use dark colors such as black or brown.

Damascene sabots come in  many shapes and names, but  only few names had been saved,  one of those names is “Sjk sabot”  with a low and rear foot heel of three centimeters height. Another is called “Shabrawi”  which name came from its high heels, made of wood engraved with seashell,  which strip is embroidered with silver threads wore as a feminine sabot. There is also the  “Jerxa sabot” (immigrants sabot) which was named after Circassian immigrant craftsmen who made these sabots in Damascus.  This sabot is not high and has a cheap price.  Another type called “Akawi” we do not know whether the reason behind this name is Akka people who used to wear this sabot or because it was made in the city of Akka.

A similar version to Circassian sabot is “Alkndrha” which has front and back legs of four centimeters height,  especially made for public washrooms and only wear by their workers and customers.  The “Half Chair” sabot was wore by poor as well as rich to prevent mud in winter. … to be continued

Haifaa Mafalani