Within Activities Organized at Old Hebron Museum
Hebron Rehabilitation Committee and Hebron Women Charitable Society Open a Second Traditional Heritage Exhibition Dedicated to “Ceramic Industry”
Hebron Rehabilitation Committee (HRC) and Hebron Women Charitable Society (HWCS) have organized a traditional pottery and ceramic exhibition at Old Hebron Museum, that has been attended by General Director of HRC, Mr. Emad Hamdan, Head of HWCS, Dr. Asma Doufish, representatives of official and civil institutions, a cohort of commercial shops owners and the local community, the exhibition has been implemented in cooperation with Tourism Association in Hebron, and coordination with “Tamimi Ceramics”, “Alfakhouri Ceramic”, and “Maswadi Ceramics”.
Mr. Hamdan noted that this event comes in support of the Palestinian cultural heritage, that carries with it a message about extent of the Palestinian community’s engagement to its traditional handicrafts industries, emphasizing that conservation of the heritage is a main pillar of the culture, as well as protection of the Palestinian identity that the occupation struggles to obliterate. He also pointed out to the importance of implementing such activities and events in the Old City of Hebron, and that embodiment of this rich heritage can be simply by enhancing the Palestinian existence in this area.
Mr. Hamdan added that the exhibition is planned to continue for two weeks, and that monthly exhibitions are to be held, specialized in the handicrafts and industries, which Palestine is famous for in general, and Hebron City in particular.
In his speech, Mr. Hamdan thanked and appreciated the German government as a donor of the project, alongside with the German Development Bank (KFW) and UNDP, since this event comes within a series of events and activities in the investment project for strengthening resilience, funded by the aforementioned entities.
Mr. Hamdan also indicated that Hebron Rehabilitation Committee (HRC) strives for the continuity of organizing such exhibitions, for the sake of the preservation of the Palestinian identity of Hebron City, as it represents an example of the Arab City that bears a long history, an integral Palestinian heritage, and authenticity that exceeds 6000 years old, which is why it was inscribed as a handicrafts city in 2016 for its popularity of the pottery, ceramics, glass, leather tanning, and embroidery industries.
The Old Hebron Museum’s official, Fatima Wazwaz, pointed out to the real talent and skill owned by the participants, that should be highlighted and supported, like Mr. Mohammed Rashad Al-Jabari, who is distinguished by recycling damaged ceramics to end up with a fine masterpiece that resembles mosaic pieces merely sized as a finger, which are used for the ornamentation of pottery jars, vases, and formation of canvases and murals, in middle of which and on the same pieces, verses from the holy Quran were written.
It has been mentioned that ceramic is a form of fine arts, which dates back in history to the earliest times, like the Islamic age, since then it had been known as “kiramos”, then years passed until it was called “ceramic”, which refers to a Greek term known as “kiramekos”; it meant pottery creator. Ceramic is considered as one of the most important industries of pottery work of art delivered by the Islamic civilization.