YEMEN: A sharp fall in demand for traditional Yemeni qamaria, or stained glass windowns, is threatening the survival of an age-old industry and changing the face of historic buildings in the old city

Record ID: 185862

  • Title: YEMEN: A sharp fall in demand for traditional Yemeni qamaria, or stained glass windowns, is threatening the survival of an age-old industry and changing the face of historic buildings in the old city
  • Date: 16th June 2014
  • Summary: SANAA, YEMEN (JUNE 14, 2014) (REUTERS) BAB AL-YEMEN (GATE OF ANCIENT CITY) VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WALKING THROUGH BAB AL-YEMEN MARKET OLD TRADITIONAL BUILDING VARIOUS OF QAMARIA ON BUILDING VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WALKING THROUGH MARKET (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SANAA RESIDENT, HAMOUD ALI GOSILA, SAYING "Qamaria manifests and shows internal and external beauty of the place, colouring it with different wonderful spectra, green and blue mainly." TRADITIONAL BUILDING VARIOUS OF QAMARIAS ON WALL/ GROUP OF MEN SITTING ON GROUND TALKING JAPANESE TOURISTS IN A SHOP (SOUNDBITE) (English) JAPANESE TOURIST, AKIKO NONAKA, SAYING: "Qamaria is a wonderful example I know of Yemeni society, history and culture. So also as a decoration itself, Qamaria has different designs for each house." SANAA, YEMEN (JUNE 10, 2014) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF QAMARIA (STAINED GLASS WINDOWS) LINED UP BY WALL QAMARIA SHOP MAN CARRYING QAMARIA VARIOUS OF MAN WORKING ON QAMARIA SANAA, YEMEN (JUNE 14, 2014) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) QAMARIA CRAFTSMAN, SEIF AL-FAQIH, SAYING: "There is a drop in making qamarias because some people are no longer so interested in having qamarias for their houses, instead they use aluminium windows." SEIF AL-FAQIH WORKING ON QAMARIA GROUP OF MEN GATHERED AT SHOP TRADITIONAL WORKMANSHIP VARIOUS OF MODERN BUILDING WITHOUT QAMARIA (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SANAA RESIDENT, MOHAMED AL-AQIL, SAYING: "Some consider qamaria to be old fashioned. Special designs are made for luxurious houses in the Hadda area in Sanaa. At the moment, they use stone to replace the qamaria." VARIOUS OF MINARET AND TRADITIONAL BUILDINGS
  • Embargoed: 1st July 2014 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Yemen
  • Country: Yemen
  • Topics: Arts,Industry
  • Reuters ID: LVAB48TJOESL0Z35HVPM9SH9KB4A
  • Story Text: The ancient city of Yemen's capital Sanaa has many beautiful, traditional buildings, frequently including a particular window design called qamaria. The colourful stained glass windows are made to fit the old buildings using traditional craft skills and age-old patterns. Its distinctive features define traditional Yemeni architecture.
    Qamarias are said to have first appeared in Yemen around 4000 years ago and amongst its fans are not only foreign tourists, but also local Sanaa residents like Hamoud Ali Gosila.

    "Qamaria manifests and shows internal and external beauty of the place, colouring it with different wonderful spectra, green and blue mainly," Gosila said.
    Japanese tourist Akiko Nonaka is also a fan.

    "Qamaria is a wonderful example I know of Yemeni society, history and culture. So also as a decoration itself, Qamaria has different designs for each house," Nonaka said.
    Now though, the qamaria is experiencing a sharp decline in demand and struggles for survival. Because it is especially designed for each house it comes at a price. Most modern buildings, defined by more modern architectural styles, opt for aluminium windows rather than the more traditional qamarias.

    "There is a drop in making qamarias because some people are no longer so interested in having qamarias for their houses, instead they use aluminium windows" says qamaria craftsman Seif Al-Faqih.
    Sanaa resident Mohamed Al-Aqil says qamarias are losing support even amongst the more well-off, who consider them to be old-fashioned.

    "Some consider qamaria to be old fashioned. Special designs are made for luxurious houses in the Hadda area in Sanaa. At the moment, they use stones to replace the qamaria."
    The buildings of the old city of Sanaa are listed by the UNESCO World Heritage Centre.
    Situated in a mountain valley, Sanaa has been inhabited for more than 2500 years. In the 7th and 8th centuries the city became a major centre for the propagation of Islam, a legacy that can be seen in over 100 mosques and 6000 houses built before the 11th century. The World Heritage list defines Sanaa by its unique rammed earth many-storeyed tower-houses and and burnt brick towers that include geometric patterns of fired brick, white plaster decoration and stained glass windows, or qamarias.
    As the Sanaa skyline changes slowly with the construction of modern buildings, it may only be a matter of time until qamarias become a rarity.
    mm/jrc
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