Fleeing the war, Syrian perfume makers were among the refugees to settle in Egypt. By 2015, they had established dozens of small shops in the streets of Cairo and Alexandria, bringing the scent of their homeland to the Egyptians.

Ever since the 12th century, Damascus, along with Baghdad, has been an important center for perfumes. Until the war, Syria was an important exporter of fragrance oils used for making perfumes and known as the home of the Rosa damascena. The perfumes of Syria, with their undertones of rose, patchouli, jasmine or bay leaves, became internationally known as the Damascene perfumes.

One of the success stories is Maa al-Thahab Fragrances, founded in 2006 and with 34 shops in Syria by the beginning of 2011. In 2011, the owners moved to Egypt and opened its first branch in Cairo. Obeida Habib, the manager responsible for all the shops, said that the company presently has 78 shops in Egypt.

Regarding the popularity of Damascene perfumes and shops in Egypt, Habib said, “One of the main elements of success is that our products are not common in the Egyptian market. We have our own products, which are original scents that please the customers and sell for much less” than local and international products.