Doha: A wide variety of handcrafts from eight countries will be on display at the third edition of Traditional Handicrafts Exhibition which opens today at Katara, the Cultural Village Foundation – Katara has announced.
Artisans from Qatar, Ethiopia, Syria, Palestine, Tunisia, Morocco, Sudan, and Iran will be showcasing their creations such as folk costumes, wooden handicrafts, hunting tools, and embroidery works at the exhibition which runs for 10 days at Building 48.
The exhibition follows the success of its previous edition which saw local artisans and craftsmen from other countries including Turkey, Syria, Morocco and Iraq take part. Traditional handicrafts are considered a significant part of Qatari national identity. Long before the discovery of oil and gas, Qataris have their own handicrafts that express their cultural identity, from traditional weaving to clothing and perfume making.
Yesterday, Katara’s Heritage Committee concluded workshop on Handicraft Product Development which witnessed the participation of 12 craftswomen engaged in Sadu industry. The workshop comes within the framework of the program of developing traditional products aimed towards the preservation of local traditional heritage and building the capacity and expanding the horizons of women artisans in the country.
Salma Al Nuaimi, cultural advisor at Katara said that traditional Qatari crafts are supported and encouraged by Katara and that the workshop aimed at educating artisans on how to develop their handicrafts, expand horizons of production, work to market their handicraft products and give the public more opportunities to acquire handmade products that suit all tastes and meet various needs.
The programme will continue throughout the year, while the workshop is conducted once a week for three week seeking to benefit artisans in developing their products, said Al Nuaimi. She added that Katara had provided all kinds of material and moral support for these craftsmen to practice their craft in order to preserve the local heritage.
She stressed that traditional handicrafts are one of the most important elements of Qatari heritage and one of the main features of national identity due to their distinct characteristics specific to Qatari society.
With the challenges folk heritage currently faces, the programme aims to sustain traditional handicrafts as a way to preserve national identity, she added.
