Syrian Arab News Agency S A N A
Damascus, SANA- Traditional handicrafts in Syria encapsulate the characteristics and heritage of the Syrian civilization accumulated over thousands of years in the form of icons full of art, creativity and beauty.
SANA visited an exhibition of handicrafts established by Damascus Tourism Directorate in Khan Asaad Basha in the Old City of Damascus which showcases various traditional industries in which about 50 craftsmen in the fields of mosaic, arabesque, glass and copper took part, in addition to artworks created by housewives and charities.
Chairman of the Oriental Handicrafts Association, Fouad Arbash told SANA that the exhibition reflects the
Ministry of Tourism’s intention to revive heritage and handicrafts as an integral part of the Syrian heritage and a factor of tourist attraction.
He pointed out that despite the war on Syria, the Syrian craftsmen are still creating and innovative distinctive Syrian art.
In turn, brocade craftsmen Mohamed Rankous and Samer al-Nukta said that the Damascene brocade industry relies on hand-woven yarns to sew silk fabrics and insert gold and silver threads in bright colors, adding that Damascus has become the only place in the world that produces this type of fabric.
They added that the brocade industry has suffered a real setback due to the terrorist war 
against Syria as it relies on tourists mainly, but now that the country has recovered from terrorism and the security and stability have been restored to all areas, and this profession and the efforts of its craftsmen must be revived vigorously.
For his part, craftsman Mazen Shiban pointed out that he seeks to enter the Guinness World Records through an innovative panel made of 94,000 olive seeds representing the coexistence and succession of civilizations on the city of Damascus.
The industries and handicrafts in Syria will remain a record of ancient history and part of the Eastern aesthetic culture, which is the legacy of ancestors.
Manar al-Frieh/Manal
