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Love Damascus - Your Guide to Damascus, the Oldest Living City

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Syrian Handicrafts

Total: 24

Pottery and Ceramics

Syrian Handicrafts

Dating back to as early as the 8th century B.C, Syrian pottery has evolved durin the different millennia and centuries to reach world fame during the Fatimid era when some of the most intricate lusterware ceramic pieces were made and can be still seen today in various museums around the world. During the Mamluk era, the Qishani Ceramics became very popular in Damascus, but the art of making pottery and ceramics kept evolving to a stage where it was known simply as Damascene ceramics. Today, examples of Damascene ceramics can be seen in many of the city’s monuments such as Tekkiye Suleimanieh, Sinan Pasha Mosque and Darwish Pasha Mosque....

Find at: Raji Elias Pottery 

Ajami Wooden Decoration

Syrian Handicrafts

The Ajami art of adding hand decorated wooden fixtures to ceilings and walls wasused by Syrian artisans in the early era of the Umayyad Empire to decorate mosques and palaces. The decorative motifs used in Ajami usually depict illustrations of vegetations, writings and poems. The handicraft is still flourishing in Damascus with products being exported worldwide....

Find at: Oriental Palace 

Aghabani Textile

Syrian Handicrafts

The art of making this handmade white or beige textile with its distinctive goldand silver embroideries originated in Damascus more than 150 years ago. Aghabani cloth was originally made out of natural silk which was abundant in Syria at the time; however, the high quality Syrian cotton is nowadays used to make this beautiful cloth which is widely used as table linen....

Find at: Giovanni, others

Damascene Brocade

Syrian Handicrafts

This rich shuttle-woven fabric made using natural silk with gold and silver threds in some cases has been flourishing in Damascus for many decades. It was historically used for clothing but, nowadays, it is mainly used for furniture upholstery and for various other accessories such as handbags. The best quality Brocade is a trademark of Damascus so much so that the reigning English monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, had her wedding gown made out of it....

Find at: Bazaar Al-Khayat for Orientals, others

Mother of Pearl Marquetry

Syrian Handicrafts

The Damascus school of mother of pearl marquetry is very famous worldwide, and i has been producing the finest furniture and other decorative pieces for many centuries. The oak trees that were abundant in the famous Orchards of Damascus and the oysters from the Euphrates River have historically supplied artisans with all they need for this craft. Today the skills of the handicraft are passed from father to son with many workshops in Damascus old city still producing the finest mother of pearl inlays....

Find at: Al-Jandool, others

Copper Engraving

Syrian Handicrafts

The finest copper engraved vessels were originally made by the artisans of the Jwish community in Damascus. Items were initially made to cater for household needs, and later on they were made purely for decoration purposes. The handicraft is still strongly present throughout Damascus old city despite the technological advances in its production processes....

Find at: Jumaa Brothers Orientals, others

Old Damascene Clothes

Syrian Handicrafts

The recent revival of the old Damascene fashion which existed during the late Otoman era can be attributed mainly to the numerous Television series which covered that era quite extensively. These popular TV series, which began to gain momentum in the 1990s, re-introduced the Damascene fashion of the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries to the public. This cultural revival increased the demand for traditional clothing especially within the hospitality industry, and thus this traditional handicraft began to make a comeback....

Find at: Mohammad Kheir Shkeir 

Chandeliers and Lanterns

Syrian Handicrafts

The streets of Damascus old city were systematically lit since the era of the Maluks in the 13th century, when public servants used to fire up and maintain oil sconces on the streets of the old city. The art of making chandeliers and lanterns in Damascus started from these early sconces and was developed by artisans into the richly decorated beaded, brass, glass and crystal chandeliers and lanterns which Syria is known for today....

Find at: Sahara Orientals, others

Wood Engraving

Syrian Handicrafts

Depicting various styles of engravings, artisans working in this crafts are spred throughout Damascus old city. Many of the engraving styles used are derived from the architectural and artistical heritage of the different historical periods that the city went through such as the Ayyubid, Mamluk and Fatimid periods. Although most of the engravings are used as part of high end furniture lines, many of them are also worked as standalone pieces....

Find at: Ahmad Deeb Sawan, others

Wooden Mosaics

Syrian Handicrafts

The turning point for Damascene wooden mosaic occurred in 1880 when a local artian by the name of Georgy Bittar was granted a special award by the Ottoman Sultan after having made him an exquisite wooden mosaic furniture range. Today, wooden mosaic furniture and decoration items are still made in many workshops around the area of Bab Sharqi and Bab Touma in the old city. Local artisans use wood from oak, beech, lemon and other flower trees, in addition to mother of pearl and silver inlays to make these beautiful items. Fine examples of this handicraft can be seen at Beit Nizam, Beit Al-Siba’e, Maktab Anbar and the House of Khaled Al-Azem....

Find at: Antoun Franciss Ashkar, others

Glass Blowing

Syrian Handicrafts

Glass blowing is a very enjoyable and satisfactory process to watch due to the lvel of skill involved and the beauty of the finished product. The process was developed by the Phoenicians in ancient Syria and has relatively remained unchanged throughout the ages. Damascus, today, remains the home of this ancient handicraft with many glass blowers still producing fine glassware....

Find at: Aram, others

Goat Hair Tents

Syrian Handicrafts

Bedouins have lived in the Syrian Desert for thousands of year, and they have lernt to make perfect use of their limited resources. One such way is using goat’s hair to produce large tents which protect them against the strong sun heat and the bitter winter cold. Today in Damascus, there are many modern spinning and weaving machines producing these tents which are used in the hospitality industry and are exported to other Arab countries. However, there are still some workshops in Damascus old city which continue the traditional manual spinning and weaving of tents using only a very basic loom....

Find at: Ahmad Kashlan & Sons, others