Syrian families keep old items that transcend their material value, becoming testaments to life stages and a memory that condenses the stories of successive generations. These objects carry details of people, homes, and bygone eras, and store memories that are difficult to replace or recover, among furniture pieces, photos, letters, and household tools.
Simple Keepsakes and Priceless Memories
Mrs. Ahd al-Ayesh keeps a collection of items inherited from fathers and ancestors, or that accompanied her over many years. Although some do not hold significant material value, they occupy a special place in her heart due to the memories and human experiences associated with them. Keeping them becomes an expression of loyalty to the past and a commitment to preserving part of the family history.
These keepsakes vary, as she told SANA correspondent, including black-and-white photographs, old clocks, coffee-making tools, copper vessels, traditional furnishings, as well as radio devices, books, and family manuscripts. Some tools used by ancestors remain present in the home, bearing witness to changes in lifestyles and the evolution of tools and technologies.
Home Memory as a Mirror of Customs and Traditions
Mrs. Manouliya Aboud carries letters written in the handwriting of her late husband, which hold great emotional value. They allow her to return to past days and evoke feelings and memories linked to words written by his hand. In an era when letters carried a different specificity, they reflected a form of human communication that has receded with the spread of modern communication means.
Old family photos serve as a window for Dr. Rana al-Aseel to access generational memory. They preserve the features of her late father and document occasions, places, and details that may no longer exist today. She also keeps some household tools linked to shared daily life memories, such as a coffee cup that used to gather family members, or a piece of handmade furniture that remained in the home for decades.
The importance of these keepsakes is not limited to their commemorative value or their connection to their owners. It extends to the social and cultural connotations they carry, reflecting the nature of life in previous stages, prevailing customs and traditions, and details of family and social relationships. They also reveal aspects of local crafts and industries linked to the Syrian environment and its cultural diversity.
Between Clinging to the Past and Life's Demands
Folk heritage researcher Muhammad Dibour told SANA that keeping old items is a custom inherited from fathers and ancestors, falling within the realm of folk heritage. He noted that some families used to boast about their old pieces due to the value and history associated with their origins and stories.
He added: "This custom has declined to some extent due to life's demands and changing living conditions, but some families still preserve and cherish their keepsakes." He pointed out that some of these pieces are also viewed as a type of material security that can be utilized during difficult times.
Keeping these things does not mean clinging to the past at the expense of the present, but rather reflects an appreciation for human experiences that contributed to shaping the memory of families and societies. It acknowledges that the value of some keepsakes is not measured by their price or age, but by the meanings and memories they store, which are difficult to replicate.
Thus, old keepsakes in Syrian homes are more than silent objects; they are stories preserved in photos, letters, and simple tools, connecting the past with the present. They give generations the opportunity to learn about the lives of their predecessors and confirm that there are things that cannot be dispensed with, as they carry part of their owners' history and memory.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
Comments (0)