RONÎDA HACÎ

Hasakah- Mesopotamia has a deep-rooted cultural and historical heritage. People living in this region make great efforts to preserve their culture and traditions. Making tandoor ovens is one of these traditions.

Werda Îsa, a resident of Til Necma village of Til Temir, has been making tandoor ovens by shaping the soil for years. She earns a living by making and selling tandoor ovens.

Red clay, water and straw are used to make tandoor ovens, she told us. “We mix the mud by hand and add some straw to hold it together. Then, I begin to make a tandoor oven using the mixture. A tandoor oven consists of nine blocks. We build each block by shaping it by hand. Making a tandoor oven is not easy; it requires a lot of effort and strength. I make seven tandoor ovens every month and sell them. Building a tandoor oven lasts three days. I learned how to make tandoor ovens from my mother.”

‘Everything made from soil is created by women’

Making tandoor ovens is a tradition for us, said Werda Îsa. “Women preserve this tradition and earn a living by making tandoor ovens. “Women discovered how to make tandoor ovens. Everything made from soil is created by women. In villages, women make and sell tandoor ovens. I like making tandoor ovens. Women have an important role in building and managing the family and society. Projects should be developed to support women living in villages.”