By: Hassan Ali
Translation: Yousef Awad
Tanning is the process of transforming animal skin after it has been skinned and cleaned into a useful
product, either smooth leather or soft fur leather. The tanning process preserves the skin from rotting
and gives it flexibility and durability. While most animals can be a source of leather, cattle are generally
the main source. Sheepskins are an important source of leather in Syria and in many other countries, with a wide range of uses. Tanned leather is used in the manufacture of bags, shoes, belts, gloves, coats, hats, play balls, and livestock saddles, among many other products. Tanned leather is characterized by its high mechanical resistance and durability.
Leather tanning is a traditional industry that Syria is famous for, with more than 280 tanneries, most of
which are in Damascus, Aleppo, and Hama. There are also some traditional tanneries in Palmyra that rely
on primitive tanning methods. The leather tanning industry in Syria serves various industrial sectors and
has seen significant development at the beginning of the 20th century when chrome salts and dyes began to be used instead of vegetable dyes. The tanneries in Syria originated near the water channels in the cities of Damascus and Aleppo and are mostly practiced by men. The term of tanning refers to the repair and coloring of leather. In Old English, the term “tanning” means dyeing the skin brown by soaking it in tannin, which is extracted from oak bark powder.
The tanning methods for various types of leather share similarities with some differences. Mr. Khalid
Jaber, a professional leather tanner from the city of Palmyra, discusses the preparation of raw skins. He
says, “The profession of tanning sheepskins, especially those of the Awassi breed, is something I learned
from my father, who learned it from my grandfather. It is a very old profession in Palmyra. The most
important work essentials needed for this profession are a workspace for washing and spreading the skins, and obtaining fresh sheepskins from slaughterhouses, which are widely available here in Turkey.
The work mechanism for leather tanning begins by bringing the skins to the workspace and then salting
them with natural table salt. We fold them in the salt until the next day, then we spread the skin under the
sun to dry from both the upper and lower sides until it becomes hard. After that, we soak it in water for 4
to 5 hours to become soft again. We then prepare the washing tools, which include ‘the Dahas,’ a metal
tool resembling a bicycle handle with a blade at the bottom and grips on top to control the blade that
removes the wool from the skin. We also use household cleaning materials in the washing process,
especially washing powder or dishwashing paste. The skin is washed until it is clean and turns white, then
it is rinsed with clean water and re-salted with salt and alum, which preserves the wool and stops it from disintegrating. Then it is dried under the sun until it is completely dry, after which it is softened with water using a metal tool called ‘the Dunq,’ making it soft again. This facilitates the scraping and scratching of the upper layers of the skin (scraping) using a scraper colloquially known as ‘the Qazq.’ The scraping process continues until we obtain a skin and wool of white color. After that, it is dried under the sun, and the moisturizing and scraping process can be repeated until we get a ready piece of soft leather with a light layer of wool called ‘the Ja’ad.’ This is used to manufacture clothing such as fur coats and ‘Ibtiyah’ (traditional clothes for the residents of Palmyra and the Syrian desert).”
The process of obtaining ‘Ja’ad’ leather takes from 10 to 15 days. As for the method of obtaining ‘Shakwa’ leather (also known as ‘Joud’ or ‘Dharf,’ with the name varying according to its use), it is somewhat different from ‘Ja’ad.’ Freshly skinned leather is prepared from the slaughterhouse (usually skinned without opening from the belly and chest), and the inner side is coated with flour and hot water to pluck and completely peel off the wool, making it smooth. Then it is washed well, salted, and treated with pomegranate tanning (pomegranate fruit peel used in the tanning process for treatment and coloring the leather). The pomegranate must be acidic to have a strong effect and set the dye. Then the ‘Shakwa’ is stitched tightly so that no air (or liquids that will be placed in it later) can escape. The process of obtaining ‘Shakwa’ leather takes about a week. ‘Shakwa’ is distinguished from ‘Joud’ (water skin) in that the ‘Shakwa’ has the outer leather side, which carries the wool fluff, facing inward to facilitate the separation of butter from milk, while the ‘Joud’ for water has the wool fluff facing outward and the smooth face inward. The smooth leather, other than ‘Shakwa’ and ‘Joud,’ is used to make bags and pouches or as the face for traditional musical instruments such as drums, ‘Mizhar,’ and ‘Rababah.’
Khalid adds, “The income from manually tanning leather is unsatisfactory, modern machines and materials have accelerated the production process. In Palmyra and even in Syrian cities, only a few professionals who work in traditional tanning remain, as this profession has begun to fade away. The demand for its products has decreased, and most traditional tanners have turned to other professions, making traditional tanning merely a heritage profession.
The researcher adds that this profession constitutes an important part of the intangible cultural heritage
in Palmyra and Syria in general. It is closely linked to sustainable development and economic activities
such as livestock breeding, trade, and leather industries. Recently, tanning has also been associated with
environmental concerns, the preservation of the environment, and the problems arising from the amount
of waste it produces, necessitating its treatment.”
