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Asharq Al-Awsat
Asharq Al-Awsat
Lifestyle
Asharq Al-Awsat

Syria's Last Traditional Boat-makers Keep Ancient Craft Afloat

Syrian craftsman Khaled Bahlawan builds a wooden boat at his boatyard in Syria's Mediterranean Island of Arwad on July 24, 2022. (Photo by LOUAI BESHARA / AFP)

Khaled Bahlawan hammers nails into a traditional wooden boat he built by hand, toiling under the scorching sun on Syria's Mediterranean coast to preserve a disappearing ancient skill.

"We are the last family that makes wooden ships and boats in Syria," said the 39-year-old on the shores of Arwad island, near the city of Tartus.

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