ROJ HOZAN

Qamishlo – 55-year-old Qumriye Mustafa lives with her sister Siti Mustafain the Girziro village of Qamishlo Canton’s Derik city, North-East of Syria. She has woven carpets for 40 years in her house. This hospitable, smiling, and warm woman is professional in weaving carpets. She told us her story.

She was born and grew up in Girziro village. She is a Kocher (nomad), “The life of Kochers is hard. It isn’t easy. You have to constantly work and struggle. When you wake up in the morning, you find a lot of works waiting for you. And you begin to do the works without complaining.” She began to weave carpets when she was just 15 years old.

“Women come together around the carpet loom”

“There is no stop in our life. Every season, we have different works. Weaving carpets is one of them. All women come together around the carpet loom and help each other. It is not only a source of living but also a place for women to spend time together. I first listened to female Dengbej while weaving a carpet. I have listened to the stories and epics of my people. Now, we tell these stories to young people.”

She shows us her talented hands while saying, ‘Weaving is not an easy job’

Qumriye Mustafa watched her mother’s hands for learning how to weave when she started weaving. “It isn’t an easy job. You need to have talent and experience to weave,” said Qumriye Mustafa while showing us her talented hands.

You should be a skilled person to weave carpets but you should have a good quality carpet loom, ropes, and colors, said Qumriye, who has taught many people how to weave the carpets.

“I have woven thousands of carpets adding my feelings”

“My body is no longer as before. I have many diseases but I keep weaving. Weaving is a part of my life. I have woven thousands of carpets by adding my feelings. I can't stop weaving because I'm old,” said Qumriye Mustafa while criticizing young people for not being interested in weaving carpets.