ALEPPO (AA) – ÖMER KOPARAN – Esma Mahbak, a 42-year-old mosaic artist living in Aleppo, Syria, keeps the traditional mosaic art alive with the “Armağan” team she founded, and also helps young women gain a profession and bring them into the workforce. Mahbak and his team produce mosaic panels, mirrors, lamps, trays, boxes and decorative products using only natural stones extracted from different regions of Syria instead of imported materials.
Combining traditional mosaic art with other handicrafts such as hand-woven carpets, metal and copper craftsmanship, the team brings together cultural heritage with modern designs. The designs are exhibited in the historical building known as the Aleppo Lighthouse, which was used as the palace of Governor Ibrahim Pasha Wolf Agha during the Ottoman period. The historical place also stands out as an important cultural center where young people and visitors meet traditional crafts.
– “We aimed to make mosaic art a part of daily life” Explaining that she was introduced to mosaic art in 2018, Mahbak said that while giving training for women, the idea of including young girls in the production process emerged. Telling the story of the establishment of the “Gift” team, Mahbak stated that they realized that it was difficult for large-sized mosaic paintings to reach large audiences and said, “For this reason, we aimed to make mosaic art a part of daily life.
We wanted to both protect our heritage and introduce it to new generations by developing products bearing cultural and historical figures.” he said. Mahbak said, “We want to add a story to the gifts. We produce lampshades, trays, mirrors, boxes and coasters in order to bring mosaic art to every home.” he said. Stating that they are trying to combine mosaic art with other traditional crafts, Mahbak said that they are focusing on new works that blend hand-woven carpets, metal and copper workmanship with mosaic.
Stating that this unity creates solidarity among traditional professions, Mahbak said, “I hope that everyone who loves their culture and heritage will protect these values and introduce them to the world.” he said. Stating that the increasing variety of materials allowed them to produce portraits and modern decoration products, Mahbak said, “By combining the traditional with the modern, we managed to bring mosaic to every home.” – “Every stone connects us to each other” Emphasizing that mosaic art is not just about arranging stones side by side, Mahbak stated that stones from different cities and regions come together and create a common cultural bond.
Mahbak said, “These stones connect us to each other. They symbolize living together, protecting our values and loving each other. It is very valuable for us to produce artistic works of high value from the stones of our own country.” he said. – “Mosaic is not just art, it is a story.” Layla Murad, who learned mosaic art by participating in the training programs of the Armağan team, said that she was introduced to this craft thanks to fairs.
Stating that he attended the courses by wondering what mosaic is and how it is produced, Murad said, “It made me very happy to learn the intricacies of this art and explore it more deeply.” he said. Stating that mosaic art is an important cultural heritage that should be protected, Murad stated that it is of great importance to transfer traditional handicrafts to future generations. Murad said, “Mosaic is not only an art for me, but also a story, the story of our country and our people.
“Each stone in these works tells a part of the life we live.” he said. Stating that each stone represents a memory and experience, Murad said, “Each stone and each place we work with reminds us of our childhood and beautiful memories. For this reason, we should not let this craft be forgotten and continue to keep it alive.” he said.
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