Later stage

Revival of Syrian Handicrafts

Safeguarding living crafts such as qashani and ajami and sustaining their economy.

Goal

Save endangered Syrian crafts through their surviving masters, safeguarding them as a living system of knowledge and practice to be passed on, not merely as a finished product.

We work through an independent project for each craft (qashani, qabroukar, ajami, glass, copperwork), each with its own specialist partner.

It is a later-stage program, built deliberately, and it gives diaspora craftspeople a reason to return and contribute.

“A living system of knowledge and practice to be safeguarded and passed on, not merely a finished product.”

How it works

  1. Heritage protection

    Documenting the craft and safeguarding its methods before they are lost with their masters.

  2. Knowledge transfer

    A structured handover from surviving masters to a new generation of craftspeople.

  3. Economic sustainability

    Supporting quality and marketing so the craft can sustain its people and stand on its own.

The Syrian steel-and-sword craft is presented as a revival of the craft and its traditions, not a recovery of the lost wootz (crucible-steel) technique, which disappeared more than a century ago. The specialist partner for each craft has not yet been identified.