“Traditional Glassblowing” exhibition held in Old Damascus

Celebrating the inclusion of “traditional glassblowing” on UNESCO list of human heritage in need of urgent protection, the Ministry of Culture, in cooperation with the Syria Trust for Development, organized an exhibition for the glassblowing traditional handicraft.

The exhibition displayed various blown glass products and traditional crafts associated with it in Khan As’ad Pasha in Old Damascus.

During the celebration an introductory film on the traditional glass blowing was screened, as it is one of the Syrian cultural elements that enjoy the beauty of manufacturing and the ancient craftsmanship.

The craftsmen Ahmed Mahmoud Hallaq and Muhammad Mahmoud Hallaq were also honored, in appreciation of their role and efforts in preserving this authentic cultural element.

Minister of Culture Lubana Mushaweh said in a speech during the celebration, “In late 2023, the traditional glassblowing craft was registered as the sixth Syrian cultural item on UNESCO lists, and the second item on the urgent preservation lists”.

She pointed out that this is an important event for the preservation of hand-blown glass, which is now in danger of extinction, as the number of its manufacturing workshops was 14 before the war, and now, only three of them are operating in Damascus, given the fact that terrorism has destroyed all the active workshops that worked specifically in Aleppo and Idlib governorates , especially in the city of Armanaz.”

Minister Mushaweh praised the two craftsmen  Hallaq’s national sense and keenness to preserve this authentic cultural element, by training and qualifying a new generation of young craftsmen to keep this craft alive and going.

She noted that safeguarding, supporting and ensuring the transfer of this traditional handicraft to younger generations, as well as promoting and developing it, are everyone’s responsibility.

Mushaweh stressed the necessity of cooperation with all concerned public, civil and private bodies to preserve and protect this craft and overcome all difficulties that threaten it.

In turn, the CEO of the Syria Trust for Development Shadi Al-Alshi said: “The inclusion of the glassblowing element came about through fruitful cooperation between the community and institutions as well as the Ministry of Culture that incubates all those interested in heritage”.

He added “the registration of the six Syrian elements on the UNESCO lists is an expression of our commitment to our cultural identity and our key role in preserving the cultural and intellectual heritage that enhances the protection of the Syrian identity.”

Al-Alshi pointed out that during the last period, a number of archaeological sites were renovated and rehabilitated to safeguard Syrian intangible cultural heritage.

It is worth to mention that on December the 5th UNESCO included traditional glassblowing on the list of intangible cultural heritage in need of urgent safeguarding, during the meeting of the 18th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in Botswana.

Teams from the Ministry of Culture and the Syria Trust for Development, with the participation of craftsmen of traditional glassblowing, worked to monitor this Syrian cultural element, identify the challenges facing it, and document it to prepare the special file that was submitted to UNESCO, which worked to evaluate and adopt the national preservation plan for this element, which aims to revive the craft and develop it as one of the Syrian creative industries.

Rawaa Ghanam