by Hummam Sheikh Ali

DAMASCUS, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- In the heart of the Syrian capital Damascus, where sunlight melts through minarets and whispers fill ancient alleyways, Muhammad Hallaq, a 63-year-old glassblower, breathes life into molten glass, carrying forward a family legacy that spans three generations.

Having learned the craft at the age of nine, Hallaq is now called the "last Sheikh al-Kar," which means the final master of a fading art.

Hallaq's workshop in the Zablatani district, east of Damascus, stands as the lone bastion of full-scale glassblowing in the war-torn country.

For a long time, Hallaq and his six relatives have been working in the workshop, keeping alive the family tradition and a cultural heritage that is in danger of disappearing amid the country's turmoil and the lack of foreign demand.

But he has a new reason for hope: UNESCO recently added the Syrian glassblowing to the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.

"I am proud that it's a Syrian industry that has been inscribed on the list by UNESCO," he told Xinhua.

"Now I am optimistic and I hope that the young men would be encouraged when they understand how important it is for UNESCO to recognize it," he said.

At his workshop, he has two eager students: Yasmin Darwish, 15, and her mother, Basma Majzoub, 41. They used to work in sewing, but they fell in love with glassblowing after visiting the workshop.

"I faced some challenges at first, but I found joy and passion in creating glass objects," said Darwish, who looked forward to returning to the workshop every morning.

Her mother said she was captivated by the sound and shape of glass, especially the cluster of grapes that Hallaq made.

"It's not only a personal hobby but also a national heritage. I will never leave it," she said.

However, despite their optimism, the glassblowers face many difficulties.

Hallaq said economic sanctions, especially those that affect the import of essential dyes, have hurt the industry. He business suffered a 90 percent drop in demand during the crisis, and he could not afford the high prices of fuel without a major foreign market for his products, added Hallaq. Enditem

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