Regional event in Syria

Venue: ART House Gallery, Mazza Damascus Syria 
Date: 3rd to 13th Feb 2015

Activities include an exhibition of modern wood sculptures and a concert of wooden instruments.

Damascus, Syria and its people are known for the long history of art and craftsmanship, particularly the furniture and cabinetry. The Syrian carpenters have a rich tradition of making ornate, pieces of furniture, cabinets, decorative boxes and doors, carved and hand painted designs and motifs, and the combination of different woods which known as the mosaic wood. Syrian furniture is popular throughout the world, not only because these wooden treasures are unique works of art, but because each one holds a bit of history as well.

Within each piece of furniture is the cultural knowledge passed down from each generation to the next hundreds or even thousands of years. The Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, one of the world’s oldest mosques, was designed with elaborate mosaics throughout the ancient building around 715 A.D. The craft of mosaic wood from Damascus dates back to several hundred years during the last decades of Ottoman Rule.

Syrian furniture is very distinctive because it combines the walnut wood and the traditional Arabic decoration. Until nowadays, the Syrians still use the most basic tools and the age-old art of inlay of fine mother of pearl to make their oriental furniture more appealing and spectacular.

 

World Wood Day