Before the war in Syria, Samer's family business, which hand-weaves the most beautiful towels and carpets, was a big business both in the Middle East and in Europe. Now the logistics of getting them here is pretty much impossible.
But I'm not giving up! And now a rather special coincidence has occurred which means that the next delivery is actually closer than I thought.
The towels, which I bought myself from a local shop in Beirut when I lived there, are simply too amazing not to please more and the Syrian family are too skilled craftsmen for me to bear that they cannot maintain this beautiful craft, there. is then threatened with extinction in favor of machines rather than hand production.
They are woven on old wooden looms by hand in the softest cotton and every time they come out of the wash, it is softer than before.
In the picture, where I talk into a half-black screen (because the internet connection is often too weak in Lebanon, to talk with video) is Ward, who I work with and I'm coordinating a slightly wild encounter that can get me the next big delivery.
Right now there is a warehouse in Germany, where Samer's one son fled to 8 years ago. A long time ago, Samer sent a large delivery because he was simply too afraid that his warehouse in Hama in Syria would be hit by a missile and the whole family's 'savings' (that is, their work and goods) would go up in flames. Isn't that a wild reality to live in?
The son is studying in Germany and doesn't exactly have a network to sell handwoven towels - but I do! Or at least is building it. Therefore, there will soon be 200 towels in my apartment and the next task will be to convince some companies that there is no more meaningful gift to give their employees.
Side note;
I had a funny experience at a market last Christmas: A woman who knew much more about weaving than I did did not believe that the beautiful weaves and patterns could be achieved without using synthetic material. Of course, I have not visited the production, but I promised her that Samer and his family would never say that they only use natural materials if that was not the case. She bought a single towel with little skepticism, but came back very excited the next day. She had simply been at home and set fire to a small corner of the towel to test the contents (synthetic materials melt, while natural ones burn in a completely different way) - and then she happily bought 3 more for her family members' Christmas presents 😊 .
But I'm not giving up! And now a rather special coincidence has occurred which means that the next delivery is actually closer than I thought.
The towels, which I bought myself from a local shop in Beirut when I lived there, are simply too amazing not to please more and the Syrian family are too skilled craftsmen for me to bear that they cannot maintain this beautiful craft, there. is then threatened with extinction in favor of machines rather than hand production.
They are woven on old wooden looms by hand in the softest cotton and every time they come out of the wash, it is softer than before.
In the picture, where I talk into a half-black screen (because the internet connection is often too weak in Lebanon, to talk with video) is Ward, who I work with and I'm coordinating a slightly wild encounter that can get me the next big delivery.
Right now there is a warehouse in Germany, where Samer's one son fled to 8 years ago. A long time ago, Samer sent a large delivery because he was simply too afraid that his warehouse in Hama in Syria would be hit by a missile and the whole family's 'savings' (that is, their work and goods) would go up in flames. Isn't that a wild reality to live in?
The son is studying in Germany and doesn't exactly have a network to sell handwoven towels - but I do! Or at least is building it. Therefore, there will soon be 200 towels in my apartment and the next task will be to convince some companies that there is no more meaningful gift to give their employees.
Side note;
I had a funny experience at a market last Christmas: A woman who knew much more about weaving than I did did not believe that the beautiful weaves and patterns could be achieved without using synthetic material. Of course, I have not visited the production, but I promised her that Samer and his family would never say that they only use natural materials if that was not the case. She bought a single towel with little skepticism, but came back very excited the next day. She had simply been at home and set fire to a small corner of the towel to test the contents (synthetic materials melt, while natural ones burn in a completely different way) - and then she happily bought 3 more for her family members' Christmas presents 😊 .
