Hama, Sept. 10 (SANA) More than 30 artisans are showcasing traditional crafts at Hama’s 2026 Spring Festival, as local tourism officials and craftspeople seek to preserve skills that have been passed down through generations.
The Hama Tourism Directorate is participating in the festival with a dedicated pavilion featuring crafts closely associated with the province, including the making of miniature waterwheels, weaving on wooden looms, glass painting and hand silk-screen printing.
Hama Tourism Director Mai al-Bakri told SANA the initiative aims to introduce visitors to traditional crafts, promote locally made products and highlight their place in the province’s cultural and historical identity.
Keeping traditional skills alive
Among the participating artisans is Yahya Zaza, who makes traditional waterwheels, a craft he learned from his father and grandfather.
Zaza said he was determined to pass on the craft and prevent it from disappearing, noting that Hama’s historic waterwheels are among the city’s most recognizable landmarks and a longstanding symbol of its heritage.
For Abdul Karim Akkash, traditional weaving has been a lifelong profession. He has been hand-weaving rugs on a wooden loom since 1968, using materials including cotton, wool, camel hair and goat hair.
Akkash said he regularly introduces new designs while retaining the traditional character of the craft. The handmade rugs continue to attract customers as both heritage and decorative pieces, he added.
Passing crafts to a new generation
Akkash said festivals provide artisans with an opportunity to promote traditional crafts at a time when some are at risk of dying out.
Preserving them, he said, requires more than displaying finished products. Younger generations need to learn the techniques, production methods and designs behind the crafts if they are to survive.
The Spring Festival runs through Sept. 17, bringing together cultural, commercial, recreational and tourism activities and attracting visitors from Hama and elsewhere.
N.J/ ABD
