ZEYNEB ÎSA

Qamishlo- The women of Qamishlo play an important role in preserving their culture by making handicrafts. Ibtîhal Mehmûd (34), a resident of the Til Şiîr village of Qamishlo’s Tirbespiyê (Al-Qahtaniyah) town, has started her own handicraft business.

She studied at Girls Art School in Qamishlo and “I learned how to make handicrafts at school. Making handicrafts makes me happy because I remember old times when I make them. I still remember how my mother made jewelry for us to wear on Newroz when I was a child. Now, I make various jewelry and accessories such as vests and kofi for women to wear on Newroz and the International Women’s Day. I sell my products on social media platforms.”

‘I want to open an exhibition to display my handicrafts’

Speaking about the challenges faced by her, Ibtîhal Mehmûd said, “The high prices of raw materials is one of the challenges faced by me. I also have difficulties in finding these materials. I usually use materials such as needle, thread, wood thread and elastic cord. I want to open an exhibition in the future to display my handicrafts.”

‘I want to preserve our culture’

Ibtîhal Mehmûd used to teach women and children how to make handicrafts in Tirbespiyê. “We opened two exhibitions to display the handicrafts made by women and children,” she told us. “More exhibitions should be opened in our region. I want to preserve our culture by making handicrafts.”