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In Aleppo, father and daughter restore heirloom carpets worn by war
In Syria’s Aleppo, 51-year-old Omar al-Rawas and his 17-year-old daughter Maysam al-Rawas repair handwoven carpets damaged by war and the passage of time. As they restore the historic weavings, the father and daughter keep alive families’ memories and Aleppo’s traditional craft.
In a small workshop in Aleppo, a father and daughter are breathing new life into handwoven carpets damaged by war and the years. Through their work, 51-year-old master carpet restorer Omar al-Rawas and his 17-year-old daughter Maysam al-Rawas both preserve valuable weavings handed down in families and keep alive a craft passed from generation to generation in the city.
The carpets brought to the workshop are not seen merely as objects made of worn threads. The weavings bear traces of families’ personal and shared histories, and the restoration work helps preserve those memories.
Memories carried by the threads
Maysam al-Rawas, who studied art, began working in the workshop out of interest in the craft she learned from her father. Maysam says she is the only female master practicing this craft in Aleppo.
One of the first pieces the young craftswoman restored was a 120-year-old silk Aubusson carpet. One of the hardest parts of restoring old carpets is finding thread that fully matches the weaving’s original colors, so the craftspeople blend wool threads of different colors to come close to the original shade.
Saying that every stitch touches the pain of the carpet’s owner, Maysam said: “With every knot I repair, I am healing people’s wounds.”
Noting that Aleppo has endured great suffering and crises, Maysam said she aims to leave a positive mark on people’s minds and hearts through the carpets she repairs. For her, every carpet carries a memory and every knot a hidden recollection.
A craft passed from father to daughter
Omar al-Rawas sees carpet restoration, which he has practiced for 42 years, as a legacy inherited from his family. Having decided to teach his craft to his daughter after noticing her interest in art and weaving, the master also works with Maysam on historic carpets that are 150 to 170 years old.
Saying that people working in handicrafts, traditional crafts and culture must love their profession, Omar al-Rawas said his commitment to the work grows the more he works in the workshop.
The father and daughter repair not only carpets damaged in the war but also weavings worn out after being stored in unsuitable conditions. Their work aims to restore the carpets’ appearance and extend their lifespan.
Omar al-Rawas said that while repairing carpets that had been reduced to wreckage during the war, they felt that humanity and the destroyed stone buildings were coming back to life. Aleppo residents returning to their homes after the war years also bring damaged family carpets to the workshop so they can use them again.
Carpets arrive in Aleppo from Switzerland and the US
The al-Rawas family workshop also serves customers outside Syria. Some customers from Switzerland and the United States bring their historic carpets to Aleppo specifically for restoration.
Maysam hopes to teach this art to future generations at an academic level so that the traditional craft is not lost. Omar al-Rawas said reviving owners’ memories through the carpets they restore brings them great happiness.
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