Damascus-SANA
The National Society for the Development of Tourism in Syria, in cooperation with the Ministries of Tourism and Culture, inaugurated today the "Messengers of Silk" exhibition in Khan Asaad Pasha in Damascus.
The exhibition includes products made of silk, such as clothes and shawls, produced by women from several governorates who underwent training sessions under the title (Garg Al Qaz) to professionalize this heritage profession with the aim of preserving it from extinction and developing its industry.
In a statement to SANA’s correspondent between the Assistant Minister of Tourism, Eng. Nidal Mashfaj, that the aim of the exhibition is to revive traditional professions and crafts and to qualify trainers to train those who wish to learn them to preserve them from deterioration, document their infrastructure, open markets to promote them internally and externally, and transform them from a narrow framework into a major economic issue that can be built upon. Small and medium projects.
In turn, the assistant of the Minister of Culture, Engineer Sana Al-Shawa, indicated that the ministry is directly and fundamentally concerned with the issue of tangible and intangible heritage and its follow-up and logistical and material support by providing all the necessary facilities to preserve it, pointing out that the exhibition is one of these outputs, and the (Sar Al Qaz) course is one of the most important works that are being worked on, as There will be similar sessions in the provinces to support this craft and this tradition.
For its part, the Foundation of the National Society for the Development of Tourism in Syria, Sahar Mubarak, indicated that one of the goals that the Society is working on is the protection of heritage threatened with extinction, as the start was to document heritage industries by teaching those wishing to profession (girdle the silk), which is the last stage of the silk manufacturing stages to be the starting point for them in The field of the labor market, as the high prices of the natural silk product can constitute a source of livelihood for many families if the training and marketing is done correctly.
The coordinator of the exhibition, the plastic artist Afaf Al-Nabwani, who is interested in traditional professions, especially silk, indicated that the aim of the sessions followed by the participants in the exhibition is to train those wishing to this craft and that each of them present a piece of their production to be displayed in the exhibition with the aim of illuminating this craft and publishing it again to preserve it.
In turn, the trainee Sulafa Mansour from the Development Association in Lattakia pointed out that she is interested in silk and works in raising silkworms, extracting threads from them and knitting them with hooks, pointing out that she joined the sessions to learn how to make different heritage shapes and diversify their products so that in the future she can train others in this craft that requires patience and precision.
The 80-year-old trainer, Shamsa Muhammad Bilal, from Hama indicated that she had trained a number of participants, ranging in age from 22 to 60, on this craft, which she learned from her husband’s mother more than 60 years ago, stressing the importance of the exhibition in teaching participants the mechanism of silk manufacturing in various forms. It suits all tastes, while trainer Samar Naasan Bilal indicated that she learned the craft from her husband's mother, and today she is training women in it and developing creativity in their work.
Participant Gulnar Hamdan, a student at the College of Fine Arts, pointed out that sciences are inseparable from each other, and there is a close link between science and crafts, although each has a different line and a distinct identity. this field in the future.
Rasha the Englishman, who is interested in the field of handicrafts, said: “I heard about the course and wanted to get acquainted with it and take advantage of the existing experiences and skills to revitalize, revive and disseminate traditional crafts to familiarize the world and the Arab world with it.”
The craftsman Hussein Hassan from Deir Mama village in Masyaf indicated that he is one of the natural silk producers and encourages its use, pointing out that he always participates in introducing this product through the exhibitions of the Ministry of Tourism and Culture.
The supervisor of the handicraft sessions, Ahmed Debek, who promotes silk products in the handicraft market in Hama, explained that he came to Damascus to help the women choose the appropriate fabrics for applying the silk grinding sessions.
Sakina Muhammad Loay Husamou
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