- First, we bring the leather, which must be either natural smooth or chamois leather.
- Then we cut the surface of the shoe and then cut the insole.
- Then we add pieces of sponge to the sole to make the insole thicker, which is the bottom of the shoe. It is called Hegazy.
- Then we glue the leather liner and stitch it using a machine.
- Then, ordinarily we would tighten it on a mould, using the insole so that we may know the size. We do not currently have moulds, but I will make them later.
- Then we complete the assembly of the pieces with buttons, and stitching by machine.
- Finally, we whet the shoes to smooth the parts and rotate them accurately after cutting to give us the final shape of the shoe.
The products that we make are: men’s, women’s and children’s sandals, purses, handbags, Roman sandals, and sandals with a buckle.
My shop in Palmyra was on the market street – this shop was my grandfather’s, and then father’s, and I continued with this profession. I hope to continue supporting this project and supporting other projects for traditional handicrafts, in order to teach future generations about this profession so that it does not die out. When I hear the word Palmyra, it brings to mind feelings of longing and nostalgia for those days that we lived in our city in which we were brought up. I cannot compare any city to my city, Palmyra, nor can I prefer any other country. My best memories in Palmyra were the time I spent in my shop in the street of the southern market. I used to collect a lot of mementos related to beautiful moments that I spent, but, unfortunately, I could not bring any of these things out. I am very interested in protecting the cultural and popular heritage in Palmyra and I advise everyone that, if we return to our country, we must all be aware of our heritage and we must protect and preserve it.
I thank the Voice of Palmyrene initiative and those in charge of it, Mr Hasan Ali and Dr Isber Sabrine. I also thank the ALIPH Foundation, which funded this project, the Swedish Research Institute, the Heritage for Peace organization, and the Yetim Sultan Association, for their support to this project.