Damascus, June 29 (SANA) In a small workshop within the handicraft market in Hama, artisan Hassan Hawwa stands over his table, holding wooden blocks with intricate patterns passed down through generations for over three centuries. With each rhythmic strike, he prints heritage motifs onto fabric, safeguarding a historic profession threatened by industrial automation.
The 59-year-old artisan spoke to SANA during his participation in the Syrian Village Festival at al-Omouyin Park in Damascus. Hawwa noted that he is the last practitioner of manual woodblock textile printing in Syria, a craft he inherited from his fathers and grandfathers. Learning its secrets at the age of seven, he has spent more than 50 years mastering the trade, viewing it as a core identity and mission rather than a mere livelihood.
Hawwa emphasized that the craft has never been just a source of income, but an intrinsic part of his identity. Despite its low economic returns—which forced most artisans to abandon the trade—he held fast to it, taking on alternative work to support his family without abandoning the tools and blocks he grew up with.
The Alchemy of Traditional Printing
The manufacturing process begins with preparing the block from pearwood, selected for its durability. Heritage patterns are meticulously sketched onto the wood before being precisely hand-carved.
Hawwa exclusively uses pure natural cotton fabrics, while the dyes are prepared using traditional methods from plant-based components. These include walnut and pomegranate peels, fig milk, plant roots, Damask roses, and saffron. The raw ingredients undergo stages of grinding, boiling, and fermentation, with natural starch added to regulate the color density.
Adapting to Modern Markets
The workshop’s products extend beyond traditional tablecloths, bedspreads, pillows, and napkins. To adapt to modern market tastes while maintaining authentic identity, Hawwa expanded production to include hand-printed shawls, scarves, jalabiya robes, and trousers.
Despite regularly participating in domestic and international exhibitions through invitations from the Ministry of Tourism and various cultural organizations, Hawwa believes individual efforts are insufficient to rescue the endangered craft. He stressed that protecting traditional handicrafts is a collective responsibility, calling on the Ministry of Tourism and relevant institutions to enhance marketing support, organize dedicated exhibitions, and provide financial backing.
Currently, international tourists constitute the largest segment of his clientele due to their appreciation for authentic handmade cultural goods, whereas local demand has declined amid the proliferation of mass-produced industrial textiles and reduced purchasing power.
Blocks Hosting Family History
Hawwa preserves and actively prints with wooden blocks inherited from his grandfather, some of which are over 40 years old, ensuring that the exact motifs that adorned Syrian textiles decades ago remain alive today.
“I consider myself a link between the past and the present,” Hawwa said, summarizing a lifetime of devotion. “My hope is for this profession to survive and to find someone to carry it after me, because it is not merely a trade; it is our identity, heritage, and authenticity.”
M.Q.R
