QAMISHLI, Syria — Following successive droughts, residents of al-Malikiyah and Qamishli in northeastern Syria are reviving an ancient ritual called Ziwa, or Bride of the Rain, to ward off any further rain delays.
And their efforts may have paid off. On Jan. 2, rain showered the Syrian city of Qamishli and its surrounding towns. Shihab Abdo, 70, who owns a plot of agricultural land in the village of Shorck in the countryside of Qamishli, told Al-Monitor, he performed the ancient "Bride of the Rain" ritual on Jan. 1 along with other residents of the village to ward off drought. "God answered our prayers and it rained the next day. We are happy with the rain that will save our seasons from drought," he said.
The village of Derona in Qamishli revived the rituals on Dec. 14. Abu Shafwan, a farmer from Derona, told Al-Monitor, “Children make a doll out of wood and dress it up in colorful clothes. They carry the wooden doll, the Ziwa, which in Kurdish means 'rain doll,' and roam the village, knocking on doors, praying for rain and asking for some wheat. The villagers sprinkle water on the wooden doll and give the children wheat, meat and sweets.”
Ahmad Hani, 49, from the village of Tal Khanzir in al-Malikiyah's countryside, practiced this ritual as a child and is now teaching it to his grandchildren because of the drought.
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