Damascus, Sept. 2 (SANA) About 100 women from Palmyra are turning traditional crafts into sources of income while helping preserve the city’s heritage through their participation in the 63rd Damascus International Fair.
At the crafts pavilion, the women are showcasing macramé, crochet, textiles and rugs, along with products made from hemp and palm fibers.
Maram Rahim said the project aims to turn traditional skills into marketable products, providing women with work and income while reviving crafts at risk of disappearing, particularly loom weaving.
The products include bags, shawls, rugs, tents and textiles made on traditional looms, with designs inspired by Palmyra and its surrounding desert.
Rahim said participation in the fair is also an opportunity to promote Palmyrene products, reach new customers and open additional marketing channels.
Reviving the Palmyrene loom
Manar Nadwi, a Palmyrene artisan specializing in textile work using a single crochet hook, said the project began about a year ago and has enabled women to turn their skills into products that can be sold.
She said the participating women work in crochet, macramé and loom weaving, noting that the Palmyrene loom was traditionally used to produce textiles, rugs and household items.
Some products feature motifs inspired by Palmyra’s heritage, including the justice scale depicted in stone carvings among the city’s archaeological remains, bitter coffee, tents, camels and sheep. The displays also include “al-barjad,” a traditional textile made by stitching several pieces of fabric together.
The artisans market their products through Instagram and Facebook, as well as through direct contact with customers in Damascus. The fair provides another opportunity to connect their production with consumers and direct sales.
For the artisans, reviving the Palmyrene loom combines cultural preservation with economic activity. The project seeks to develop traditional designs and adapt them to contemporary market needs.
Expanding into wider markets and establishing sustainable sales channels remain key challenges to ensuring the continuity of these crafts and increasing their economic return for the women involved.
The 63rd Damascus International Fair runs through Sept. 4, with around 1,000 participating entities representing nearly 60 countries, including local, Arab and international companies, ministries, public institutions, chambers of commerce, business councils, and investment and service organizations.
R.D/MF
