Hand-blown glass… a Syrian cultural element threatened with extinction…The National Museum of Damascus is one of the richest museums in the world in glass artifacts

Damascus, SANA-The craft of “traditional glass” has reserved a place for itself among the authentic Syrian crafts. This industry dates back to the Canaanites of the Syrian coast, the “Phoenicians,” who worked to transfer it across the Mediterranean to Europe.

In the ninth century BC, glass-making centers appeared in Syria and Iraq, after that, the process of blowing glass was developed on the Syrian coast. It flourished in the Islamic era, especially in Damascus, and continued manually to spread to most regions.

In light of the war that Syria has been exposed to and the unjust economic siege imposed on its people, the craft of “hand-blown glass” has become a Syrian cultural element threatened with extinction.

The Story of Hand-Blowing Syrian Glass

The discovery of glass dates back to the ancient Syrian Canaanites. Its manufacturing developed and several methods were introduced, the most prominent of which was the blowing process. According to historian Munir Kayyal in his book “Shami Monuments in the Arts and Industries of Damascus” issued by the Ministry of Culture – Syrian General Book Authority, this process dates back to the first century AD. This method helped in the development and prosperity of the glass industry, as it provided the opportunity to create masterpieces and antiques that countries around the world rushed to buy.

According to the book the credit for this goes to the Syrian craftsmen, considering that Syria was the main center of this industry during the days of the Roman Empire. This method was transferred to Italy and then Europe. The book also indicates that Syrian craftsmen were highly skilled and trained, making it difficult to compete with them in the blowing processes.

The book mentioned that Syria was the main center for exporting glass to the countries of Europe and the Far East during the days of the Romans and Byzantines, up until the Umayyad era. The glassmakers in the early Islamic era practiced their work according to the methods they inherited. This industry reached its peak in Syria in the seventh century AD.

Finer than the glass of Damascus

There is a popular proverb about Syrian glass which says “Finer than the glass of Damascus” representing the delicacy of its manufacture and the craftsmanship of its makers. The traveler Ibn Battuta mentioned in his book “Ibn Battuta’s Journey: A Gift to the Beholders in the Wonders of Cities and the Marvels of Travels” that when he went to Damascus in the fourteenth century AD, he found rectangular streets with shops of jewelers, booksellers, and manufacturers of strange glass vessels.

According to the book “Shami Monuments in the Arts and Industries of Damascus” one of the most famous people who worked in the blown glass industry during that period was Abu Ishaq Ibrahim bin Muhammad al-Nahwi, nicknamed “al-Zajjaj” before he became famous for his literature.

The golden age of hand-blowing Syrian glass

The book confirms that the Syrian glass industry reached a great degree of progress and prosperity from the tenth to the twelfth century AD. The most prominent feature of this industry was the production of glass vessels and cups with embossed decorations added to the piece or pressed with it during manufacturing.

Among the most important works produced by glassmakers in Syria were vessels decorated with metallic luster designs and glass enamel colors, which researchers considered a title for a period called the “golden age of Syrian glass.”

The book indicated that Damascus and Aleppo were the most important centers of this industry in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. Their products became at the forefront of what the glass industry offered during this period. Syrian products of enamel-inlaid glass flooded the European markets and the gold-plated ones exported to Europe were called “Damascus glass.”

Hand-blown glass… a Syrian cultural element

Hand-blown glass, according to the book Syrian Intangible Cultural Heritage in its first part issued by the Ministry of Culture and the Syrian Trust for Development, is a cultural element classified as one of the knowledge and skills associated with traditional craft arts due to the skills and knowledge necessary to manufacture glass by hand-blowing.

The book indicated that the hand-blown glass industry was widespread in all Syrian regions. the city of Damascus in particular is famous for the elaborate and diverse glassware provided by its craftsmen, in addition to the Damascus countryside area, where manufacturing workshops were located before the war on Syria.

Intangible elements associated with hand-blown glass

Glassware is associated with the culture of society in decorating and beautifying houses, and there are diverse glass tools used in food, drink, and hospitality. The skills of drawing and coloring on glass are also associated with the craft. Also, the craft of hand-blown glassmaking is associated with melting techniques and selecting the appropriate mixture of silica and soda, and the skill and precision of the maker in selecting the proper time to blow into the iron tube and the appropriate time to cut the blown glass and shape it according to the desired shape.

The book Syrian Intangible Cultural Heritage confirmed that this craft is a source of historical pride for Syrians as a result of its development in Syria and its transfer to Europe, especially the city of Venice, where blown Murano glass has a global reputation.

The origin of blown glass as seen by its owners

The book Syrian Intangible Cultural Heritage mentions that the glass industry in Syria declined during the Ottoman era, but it regained some of what it was and tried to renew with the arrival of craftsmen from the Palestinian city of Hebron, famous for its glass industry. They were of Syrian origin and went to work in Palestine. When they faced challenging circumstances there, they returned to Damascus.

According to the book, the practice of the element is limited to “Al-Qazzaz” family and “Al-Hallaq” family in Damascus. As for the rest of the practitioners from other than these two families, they learned the craft. These two families practiced the work in Bab Sharqi and the glass market in Al-Ihad Ashriya, Al-Duwaileh, and Al-Sayyida Zeinab.

The danger that threatens manual glass-blowing

According to the head of the General Union of Craftsmen in Syria, Naji Al-Hadwa, the biggest threat to the glass-blowing element is the economic harm that this ancient Syrian craft has been exposed to as a result of the war on Syria and the unjust siege on it, which is represented in the difficulties of securing energy carriers (electricity and diesel) that the craft depends on to operate the furnaces designated for it, which in turn affects the continuity of the work of these furnaces, which require them to remain operating around the clock, and their stopping or intermittent work causes the furnace to break down, which costs high sums of money when rebuilding it again.

Among the difficulties facing the craft and its craftsmen as well, “The shortage of workers and the lack of interest in the profession as a result of the decline in demand for its products, competition from mechanically manufactured products, the closure of many factories and manufacturing workshops, and the cessation of tourism, which led to a decline in demand for blown glass.”, Al-Hadwa said.

Al-Hadwa stressed that this important cultural element, along with the material resources associated with it, is also threatened, due to the high costs of production, the difficulty of promoting it internally and externally, the lack of professional training, and the lack of a link between this craft and the scientific and craft development in the glass industry in other parts of the world.

He pointed out that thanks to the Syrian craftsmen working in this authentic craft, their efforts to preserve it from extinction and the efforts of all concerned parties, governmental, non-governmental, and social, the difficulties and dangers facing it will be overcome, indicating that the union, with the concerned partners, is working to install new furnaces for hand-blowing glass in Dummar factory in Damascus and Homs and to hold free training workshops to teach the craft for young people, as the bet on it is represented by the fact that hand-blown Syrian glass is one of the desirable heritage elements. There is a great demand for it in foreign markets.

Hand-blowing glass is an authentic Syrian heritage … Craftsman Ahmed Al-Hallaq

Glass manufacturing centers appeared in many Syrian regions since the ninth century BC. Various methods entered its industry, the most prominent of which was the blowing process. It flourished in the Islamic era, especially in the city of Damascus where the practice of hand-blowing glass was limited to “Al-Qazzaz” family and the “Al-Hallaq” family.

Al-Qazzaz family was the most famous family worked in this craft and monopolized teaching it to the sons and grandsons of the family until they began teaching it to the daughters’ sons to ensure its continuity and preserve it from extinction. For nearly 100 years, Al-Hallaq family was the heir in the glass-blowing craft, after that, many families entered this profession, according to what craftsman Ahmed Al-Hallaq stated to SANA correspondent.

 

Al-Hallaq explained that the hand-blown glass craft spread in Al- Shaghour area with about 15 glass-making furnaces. At that time, his father worked in this profession, and it was from there that he began to learn it, as his father encouraged him and taught him the craft since he was five years old.

Then, Al-Hallaq’s family opened the glass factory in Khan Al-Zujaj in 1969 in Bab Sharqi area of Damascus. With his experience, he and his brothers began working over many years, and their products included everything related to the manufacture of glassware and tools used in food, drink, hospitality, and decorating houses.

Al-Hallaq pointed out that he worked on teaching his sons this profession, and today he is teaching his grandson. he is in the first steps of training on it, given that it requires learning at an early age, as it ensures speed of mastery and skill in manufacturing and production.

During the years of the terrorist war on Syria, the factory stopped production for seven years, according to Al-Hallaq, and in recent years it resumed work despite all the difficulties, including difficulty in securing raw materials, fuel, and electricity, in addition to the lack of manpower.

Al-Hallaq explained that the difficulty in securing fuel to operate the glass furnace threatens the continuity of his work because it needs 24 hours of operation per day, and stopping it causes great damage. It becomes unfit for manufacturing glass, and rebuilding it costs a lot.

Al-Hallaq pointed out that the lack of fuel to operate the furnace affects the speed of work and delays in delivering the order. It also affects the training of new workers to ensure that time is not wasted in training, but rather in committing to delivering orders.

“We have received many offers to this day, to have our family leave Syria and to provide them with all the possibilities to establish manual glassblowing factories, but we refused to leave our homeland and endured the harsh conditions, believing that this craft is a trust we carry on our necks. Not to mention that it is a family legacy, it is also a national legacy for us” Al-Hallaq concluded, calling on all concerned parties to protect this heritage and provide all support for its continuity.

The National Museum of Damascus is one of the richest museums in the world in glass artifacts

The National Museum of Damascus is one of the richest museums in the world in glass artifacts, which gives the visitor a glimpse of the extent of the prosperity of the Syrian glass industry throughout different ages. That was proved by excavations and archaeological evidence and preserved by the National Museum and governorates museums.

To stand at the treasures of the National Museum in this field, the Director of Excavation and Archaeological Studies at the Directorate General of Antiquities and Museums, Dr. Hammam Saad, explained in a statement to SANA that the roots of the glass industry date back to the Bronze Age. The first archaeological remains, which date back to 3000 years BC, confirm the prosperity of this industry, mainly on the northern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Canaanites “Phoenicians” had a major role in the development of this industry.

When talking about glass in the Roman era, Saad said that Syria was a major center in this industry, as archaeological evidence showed many types of glass vessels, some of which were related to funeral rituals, and others were related to daily life. Luxurious vessels were also found, which were owned by a certain class of society at that time. He explained that with the invention of the glass-blowing technique, large quantities of it became available, so people were able to use glass vessels in their homes.

At the end of the Hellenistic era and the beginning of the Roman era, Saad said that a new and unique technique appeared, which is the use of glass pieces in forming mosaic panels, adding: “We have important models in Syria, the latest of which is the mosaic panel discovered in the city of Rastan, in which glass pieces were used in multiple colors. This technique is important and rare, and its use was limited to luxurious buildings and places.”

 

Regarding the National Museum’s glass holdings, Saad said: “Damascus Museum and the museums in the governorates contain thousands of glass artifacts, mainly dating back to what was discovered in the cemeteries and found during archaeological excavations, which preserved important examples of this ancient industry,” indicating that the Classical Museum possesses different types dating back to the first century BC until the Byzantine period and beyond, as well as a huge collection of glass holdings from the Islamic era.

 

This was confirmed by the curator of the Classical Museum at the National Museum, Ali Al-Habib. He explained that the Classical Museum includes a large collection of glassware. It is divided into two sections, the first dating back to the Byzantine period and the second to the Roman period. It has multiple purposes, some for daily life and others for medical uses. Glass jewelry and ornaments were also found, as well as ceramic pieces whose outer part was made of glass.

As for the holdings of the Islamic Museum at the National Museum in Damascus, its curator, Dr. Nevin Saad El-Din, spoke about it. She confirmed that it contains during this period approximately 4,000 and 5,000 glass artifacts, with diverse manufacturing and decoration techniques, locations, and manufacturing workshops, which were primarily located in the governorates of Raqqa, Aleppo, and Damascus.

Saad El-Din explained that these holdings confirm that the glass industry in Syria is ancient and reached the Islamic eras from previous eras and was developed and elements of decoration, writings, engravings, and symbols were introduced to it.

Saad El-Din mentioned that most of the glass found in this period is characterized by its delicacy and is manufactured using two methods: air blowing and molds. Air blowing gave large, different, and multiple shapes, while the pieces made with molds were characterized by the similarity and resemblance of their shapes and the presence of large numbers of them.

Regarding the mechanism of displaying them to museum visitors, Saad El-Din pointed out that with the presence of these large numbers of the National Museum’s holdings, specific models that were used by our ancestors in various periods are chosen. What distinguishes the Abbasid period, for example, is that the glass made in it is thin, grooved, and decorated using a mold. Metal oxides were also used in it, in addition to the presence of glass camouflaged with enamel that appeared in the Ayyubid and Mamluk periods. Symbols and logos were also applied to the glass, with its diverse uses, from household and medical purposes to perfumes and decorations.

Regarding the most prominent pieces present, Saad El-Din said: “Every piece preserved in the National Museum has a story and a tale. It fell into the hands of more than one person, artist, manufacturer, and painter until it reached us. These stories are precious Syrian treasures for us and represent a part of our culture and authentic identity. They confirm that the Syrian manufacturer is the one who exported this ancient industry to European countries due to trade relations, as we see models of glass present in Italy, and the credit for them goes to the creative and innovative Syrian person.”

It is worth mentioning that the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) included the hand-blown glass element on the list of intangible cultural heritage in need of urgent safeguarding, during the meeting of the eighteenth session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, which was held on December 5, 2023 in Botswana.

Teams from the Ministry of Culture and the Syrian Trust for Development, with the participation of craftsmen carrying the traditional glass-blowing element, worked to monitor and examine this Syrian cultural element, describe the challenges it faces, and document it to prepare the special file that was submitted to UNESCO, which worked to evaluate and adopt the national safeguarding plan for it, which aims to revive the craft and develop it as one of the Syrian creative industries.

Rasha Mahfoud