Damascus-Sana
“Let us salute the heritage from grandparents to children” is the title that embodies the idea of the activity of the “Syrian Artizana” project, to introduce a group of children with disabilities and misfits to a number of types of Syrian heritage crafts.
The event, which came on the occasion of Christmas and New Year, and was held at the Sheraton Damascus Hotel, aimed at encouraging children to search for details of these Syrian crafts and heritage and motivating them to allocate a space of their time to learn about the history of ancestral civilization and the creativity of the Syrians, according to the head of the Craftsmen Union Naji Al-Hadhwa.
In a statement to the SANA delegate, Al-Houdah stressed the importance of cultural activities directed at the new generation at this particular time, given the attachment of children to the means of technology and electronic games and thus exploiting this by motivating them to search for these topics through electronic research techniques to develop their skills, attract them to these interests, and learn about their cultural heritage and the possibility of learning some skills in the future Crafts to be creative craftsmen.
President of the Federation of Syrian Chambers of Tourism, Muhammad Khaddour, pointed out that the Syrian handicrafts are among the most distinguished professions in the world, and they enjoy wide interest in exhibitions and marketing platforms, and they must continue to be interested in re-marketing them abroad and preserving them by teaching them to children and adolescents because they are the future generation.
Supporting and protecting Syrian crafts and enhancing their presence at all levels and age groups to preserve the cultural heritage that reflects the history and nobility of Syria is what the Artisana project seeks, according to its director. Hala is an indication that, in coordination with the concerned authorities, the project team continues to implement a number of activities similar to its importance in promoting the authenticity of the Syrian heritage It seeks to support young craftsmen by opening new marketing channels outside the local market to support and motivate them to achieve a wider spread of their authentic crafts.
In turn, craftsman Marwa Bitar indicated that her participation in the event came through displaying decorative pieces and models engraved with copper, where she introduced children to the mechanism of work directly, the colors of copper, methods of its manufacture, and the mechanism of engraving on it.
Through his participation in the Damascene painting craft, which dates back more than 1,400 years, Maher Bouzo emphasized the need to introduce children to ancient crafts to preserve the Syrian heritage, calling for the inclusion of extensive information on Syrian crafts in the curricula of the Ministry of Education to inform future generations about the heritage of their parents and grandparents.
Participant Ahmed Shakaki considered that the Damascene brocade profession, in which he has been working for more than 50 years, is a Damascene identity that should be planted in the memory of the new generation, while Emily Farah saw participation in the event as an opportunity to display her handicraft products of ceramics and pottery and introduce children to a craft dating back more than 4 thousand years. To renew to keep pace with the developments of the times.
During the event, the children got acquainted with the craft of mosaic, Fatimid engraving and inlay with seashell through skills presented by craftsman Salah Al-Badawi, explaining in his statement to SANA that this craft, like other handicrafts, needs patience and precision and is popular in the market because it produces decorative pieces, household furniture and hospitality packages.
Craftsman Talal Al-Badawi, who specializes in engraving with Arabic thread and engraving on wood, pointed out that the event contributed to the exchange of ideas between the craftsmen and the education of children who interacted with love and passion with them, as they participated in designing some handicrafts and presented them as Christmas gifts to the attendees, appreciating the efforts of the Artizana project to support handicrafts and introduce them.
The event was accompanied by activities that included competitions, games, artistic and musical performances for children, through which children lived in the atmosphere of Christmas.
It is noteworthy that the “Artisana Syria” project was established in 2010 and during a ten-year journey established a number of activities aimed at upgrading Syrian crafts and handicrafts and introducing the local and international community to the importance of Syria's cultural heritage.
Sakina Muhammad - Mahasin Awad
