In Türkiye, Syrian artisans renew hope by crafting the Damascus Rose
Posted by Piedra Lightfoot on
Suneya, a refugee from Syria, had once been a skilled crochet worker. When a major earthquake struck southeast Türkiye and northern Syria in February 2023, affecting at least 8.8 million people, she was left without a job or purpose. She soon found herself in Reyhanli, Türkiye, far from the familiarity of Damascus. Her husband had left, and she shouldered the responsibility of supporting their only daughter.
When UNHCR’s MADE51 initiative approached her, it gave her a chance to regain her sense of purpose. “I found an opportunity to work again, to prove myself again,” she explained. The project centred around using crochet to create the iconic Damascus Rose, a symbol of her home. “It flourished in my house—not physically, but mentally. This Damascus Rose gave me the sense that I am okay, I am in a good situation after the earthquake.” she said.
For her, this work was not about material gain. It was about healing and reclaiming her identity. “I didn’t want material results as much as I wanted spiritual results. I wanted to get rid of the negativity inside of myself.”
The design and craft itself, tied to memories of Damascus, gave her peace. Each rose she crocheted carried reflections of home and provided a connection to her roots, helping her feel grounded in an unfamiliar land.
Her daughter, her only family in Türkiye, became her biggest supporter. Every day, she would ask, “How many roses have you finished today?” There was pride in her daughter’s voice, a recognition that these roses would help buy books and school supplies. “My daughter was very happy,” Suneya said. The work allowed her to support her child, providing both material comfort and emotional stability.
Over WhatsApp, Suneya shared the progress of her work with her sister, still in Syria. Her sister was astonished, unable to believe that Suneya knew how to create such beauty with her hands. “In Türkiye, I know everything. I’ve become a successful woman,” she told her sister with pride.
Her success wasn’t measured in money, but in the fact that she had rebuilt a part of herself. The opportunity to work again gave her a renewed sense of confidence and skill.
Working alongside other refugee women, Suneya found solace in their shared experience. For all of them, the Damascus Rose project was a means of preserving their culture and traditions whilst making an income. Each stitch connected them to the past, to their mothers and grandmothers who had taught them these crafts in Damascus.
For Zestol, the Damascus Rose reminded her of her grandmother, who would crochet gifts for friends and family. "The Damascus Rose reminded me of my grandmother doing crochet and making things for the kitchen, for the bedroom, or for outside the house. I was happy to do crochet like my grandmother did," she shared.
Safa saw the project as a way to rebuild her skills and provide for her family. “I stopped working when I had children, but then I came back and tried again. During this project, I developed my skills. I’ve become talented in making crochet,” she said. Safa’s children encouraged her to finish her roses each day, knowing the importance the work held for their household.
Through the crochet work, the grief and isolation following the earthquake lifted for Suneya. The simple act of making something beautiful gave her, and the other women, a renewed sense of strength. "This project made me advocate for myself and gave me progress," Suneya reflected.
By empowering artisans like Suneya, Safa, and Zestol, MADE51 provides refugees with the opportunities and tools needed to rebuild their lives with dignity, and preserve their cultural heritage.