STORY
Artisans
Alaa’ Nasri is originally from Syria and currently lives in Amman. For Alaa’, drawing has always been a way to express herself. She fills her notebook with sketches and ideas and hopes to expand her understanding of the craft to make pieces of her own. Alaa’ is a recent graduate of the Turquoise Mountain jewellery training programme.
Mother of Pearl
Traditional Mother of Pearl inlay can be found in the Islamic world as far back as the 9th century. Many artisans specialize in a single step in the inlay process, meaning that one inlaid piece can involve multiple people. In Jordan, many of those who practice this craft are originally from Damascus.
Turquoise Mountain
The crafts skills of the Levant have been endangered by regional instability. Turquoise Mountain aims to train a new generation of Syrian and Jordanian artisans, creating a new generation of craftsmen equipped to maintain these important cultural traditions.
