GULFWEEKLY: Local artisans in the kingdom have highlighted the importance of preserving the traditional crafts of historic villages, marking World Rural Development Day this month.
Habib Abdulredha, one of the weavers at Naseej Factory in Bani Jamra, noted that while there were once more than 100 textile factories, only few remain today.
“The craft of textile making is one that I inherited from my father and grandfather,” the 39-year-old told GulfWeekly.
“I began when I was just 13 and helped my father, who taught me the tricks of the trade,” he added.
One of their traditional designs is the bridal veil, known as Rida Saibi’i, as Abu Saiba village specialised in this garment in the past. It eventually disappeared there but Bani Jamra has kept the tradition alive, revealed Habib.
The veil is woven from wool in bright, celebratory hues of red, green and black. Golden thread is also added, reminiscent of the Al Naqda craft using metallic thread.
“Another garment is Zurda, a black piece with golden thread work traditionally worn in Manama and parts of Saudi Arabia. It used to be an abaya but today we design it as scarves,” he added.
As fast fashion and modern alternatives emerged, many artisans were forced to rethink their products. Fifth generation potter Abdulnabi Al A’ali revealed that they now design more decorative items like vases.
“My journey began under the guidance of my father, Haj Abdulrahim, who was my first teacher,” recounted the fine arts and interior design professional, who taught ceramics and fine arts at Bahrain University for more than 25 years.
“Until the 1960s, our village was home to nearly twenty pottery workshops. At the time, pottery products were an essential part of every household.”
The 61-year-old continues to teach Bahrainis and expatriates across ages at Dilmun Pottery Factory in A’ali and revealed that the craft is formally taught in middle school across local institutions.
Pottery in Bahrain dates back more than 5,000 years, with some of the designs reflecting Dilmunian seals. Other styles unique to the kingdom include distinct geometric patterns, Arabic calligraphy and verses from the Holy Quran, which are either carved or painted on the wares.
The pots, Abdulnabi revealed, are mostly made from locally sourced clay, however sometimes they mix it with clay from the UK and Egypt.
Zahra Abdullah from Sitra specialises in pot carving and currently teaches the craft at the factory in A’ali.
“We first draw the pattern on paper and then carve it onto the piece,” said the 47-year-old, who trained at the Sitra Social Development Centre.
“Learning pottery was a spontaneous decision, as the centre is close to our house and at the time there was a lot of buzz around the workshops held there.
“Throughout my career I have trained both young students and the elderly, and they all took great interest in the craft. They enjoyed playing with the clay and expressed willingness to continue pursuing pottery,” she added, pointing to a widespread enthusiasm for heritage crafts in the local community.
Rustic: Hassan showcases his designs
Echoing her sentiments, Karbabad resident Hasan Al Shajjar noted how more and more families in his village have been wanting to learn basket weaving.
Known locally as Saf Al Khoos, this generational art relies on the abundance of date palm trees, earning the region its historic title of the ‘land of a million palm trees’.
The House of Basket Weaving in Karbabad opened four years ago, as part of the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities’ development plans and is dedicated to encourage the promotion of basket-making centered in the village. Additionally, Al Jasra crafts centre also has workshops on basket weaving.
The craft dates back thousands of years and is deeply intertwined with the socio-economic life of Bahrain. Historically, palm trees provided everything from food and fuel to shelter. Building on the functional use of the palm fronds, artisans then weaved them into essential household items such as dining mats (sofra), storage baskets, handheld fans (mhaffa), small dishes, and even traditional chicken coops.
Among the creative households was Hasan’s family, introducing him to the style at the tender age of 13.
“My whole family does basket weaving including my mother and siblings. My late father also did.
“There continues to be a great interest in the craft among Karbabad’s residents. Some only do small creations at home but what is important is to keep it alive and going.
“We adapt with modern times by creating new designs, as well as mixing the old with the new,” added the 48-year-old.
Some interviews for the story were conducted in Arabic by Aziz Alshawoosh and Rima Alhaddad.
Major Bahraini villages and their specialities and heritage crafts:
• Al Jasra: Home to the Al Jasra Handicrafts Centre, where craftspeople demonstrate multiple ancestral trades, from pottery, boat making, textile weaving and traditional sadou (‘bedouin weaving)
• A’ali: Traditional pottery-making and burial mounds that were once used as a support strucutre for traditional kilns
• Bani Jamra: Traditional textile weaving
• Budaiya: Agritourism experiences
• Buri: Natural village promoting eco-friendly agriculture
• Hoorat A’ali: Sustainable farming
• Karbabad: Basket weaving and palm water (liqah) distilled from palm pollen
• Karranah: Home to traditional Bahraini food cultures
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