Home UNESCO Lists Intangible Cultural Heritage Traditional Syrian Glassblowing

Traditional Syrian Glassblowing

Traditional Syrian Glassblowing

Damascene glassblowing is an artisanal craft from Damascus, Syria, where artisans create glass objects from waste glass. The process involves melting glass pieces in a brick oven, shaping the molten glass around a hollow metal rod, and blowing into the rod to form objects like cups, vases, and ornaments.
The glass is colored with powdered dyes and often features cultural symbols, such as Hamsa (Hand of Fatima). Characterized by its distinct colors and gold motifs, this craft was traditionally kept within families, passed from father to children.
Now, skills are transmitted informally in workshops. Damascene glassblowing not only provides livelihoods but also fosters a sense of community and identity, linking artisans to cultural, spiritual, and historical traditions.

Traditional Syrian Glassblowing was inscribed in 2023 on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in Syria.

Traditional Syrian Glassblowing

Date of Inscription

2023