The Depository · Browse · Middle East
The Depository documents 14 techniques in Syria; by risk level: 10 critically endangered, 2 endangered. Each record opens with a public summary; the full research record is free to view once registered.
Hand weaving on the traditional wood-and-iron loom, directly documented by the Syrian Arab News Agency as one of the oldest manual practices in Syria and an essential part of the country's cultural and civilizational fabric.
The hand-weaving of a silky fabric interwoven with silver and gold threads in elaborate designs, produced in Damascus and documented as much sought after through the ages, its appeal undiminished in the modern world.
The weaving of kilim -- a tapestry technique producing rugs, carpets, garments, and bags from wool thread -- documented in detail by the Syrian Heritage Archive Project as one of the most popular weaves in Syria and the wider Arab world,…
The crafting of silver jewelry incorporating variscite -- a blue-greenish gemstone historically valued specifically for its close resemblance to turquoise -- alongside the distinctive Jerusalem chain, a chainwork style particular to Syria…
The inlaying of silver or brass into metal surfaces to create intricate patterns and designs on traditional bowls, vases, and coffee pots, practiced within the small craftsman workshops of Khan al-Julud, an enchanting historic yard within…
A decorative craft applying mother-of-pearl and other fine inlay materials to furniture, wall and ceiling panels, and household objects, dating back several hundred years — with some sources placing its origins as far back as 2,000 years —…
A geometric wood-mosaic technique genuinely distinct from the archive's already-documented Damascus mother-of-pearl wood inlay tradition (CRAFT-2742), though founded by the same historical figure.
The deliberate revival of natural stone mosaic craftsmanship in Aleppo, led by visual artist Asma Mahbouk, founder of the Armagan natural stone mosaic team, specifically launched in 2018 with the aim of reviving an art form she directly…
The production of Aleppo ghar soap, a natural olive-and-laurel-oil soap crafted in the Syrian city of Aleppo using traditional knowledge and skills documented as continuously practiced for approximately 3,000 years, formally inscribed by…
The construction of Syrian bridal wedding attire using the sarma technique, in which artisans attach small cardboard shapes wrapped in silver and gold thread onto velvet dresses, producing a distinctive raised, sculptural surface texture…
The hand-forming and decoration of pottery and architectural tiles in Damascus, an indigenous craft with archaeological evidence in northern Syria dating back to as early as the fifth millennium BCE.
The hand-crafting of leather shoes and related products in Palmyra, using a genuinely distinctive locally produced silk thread called Khayt Al-Kharaza (also known as Khayt Al-Sareed), made from sheep intestines and treated with beeswax…
The painting of religious icons and monastery wall paintings within Syria's Syriac Christian communities, a tradition with continuous documented evidence spanning the seventh through thirteenth centuries CE and continuing as a living…
The shaping of glass objects by hand-blowing, invented by Syrian craftsmen in the first century BCE -- an origin point for the entire global technique of glassblowing, corroborated across multiple independent historical sources including…