Traditional Palestinian tile craft recedes as demand drops
Brightly colored Shami tiles have long defined the vibrant architecture of Palestine and beyond, but cheaper alternatives mean demand has dwindled and the last remaining factory is a much quieter place these days.
RAMALLAH, West Bank — Every workday morning for 71 years, 88-year-old Hani Rihani has headed for work at the Aslan Tile Factory in downtown Nablus.
The factory is one of the last bastions for the tradition of Shami tiles, which were brought into the Levant by French colonialism. In 1913, founder Hamdi Jamal Aslan built a workshop in the city of Acre and opened branches in the cities of Haifa, Jaffa and Nablus the same year. All were closed shortly after the 1948 war save the Nablus workshop.
Palestinian flagstone tiles are now seen as part of the Palestinian culture, heritage and identity. Nearly all Palestinian houses sought to line their floors with the durable and attractive tiles. Today, however, they have become a luxury item that few consumers can afford.
“For seven decades, I have been doing the same work. It is the closest to my heart. I made hundreds of pieces that decorated palaces and houses in Palestine and Jordan. I lived through major events, wars and invasions but never missed a day’s work,” Rihani told Al-Monitor.
