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![When popular revolts swept the Arab world in 2011, toppling similar military regimes in Egypt,
Tunisia and Libya, many journalists reported that the Assad regime in Damascus would
suffer the same fate. This did not happen. Instead, a brutal and bloody civil war has raged
since 2011, and some Western reporters and United Nations reports suggest that more than
500,000 Syrians have been killed. The Assad regime has survived, and at least one regular
American reporter, Charles Glass, argues today that the war is far from over. Syria’s Sunni
Muslims may be a majority, but the country’s Shi’ite Muslims, Druze, and Christian sects have
divided the political landscape. The civil war seems locked in a bloody stalemate.
Astonishingly, the café culture in the Old City of Damascus, has survived the civil war.
Patrons smoke tobacco from hookah water pipes and dine on fried minced lamb kebabs with
green salad—and order endless tiny cups of strong Turkish-style coffee, served from long-
nosed brass coffee pots.[ii] Life goes on in the midst of war.](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/finalbook-180727032317/85/Syrian-Tableware-6-320.jpg)
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Syrian Tableware
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- 2. Table of Contents Introductionto Syria Syrian Food and Culture Syrian Dinning Etiquette Syrian Collage The Cafe Tableware Sketches Tableware Design
- 3. Introduction to Syria Ifyou look under Turkey you will find its neighbor, Syria. Syria is 71,500 sq miles large and located at the north- ern point of the Suadi Arabian Peninsula. The country borders the Mediterranean Sea, Iraq to the East, Leb- anon and Israel to the West, Jordan to the south, and Turkey to the north.
- 4. Syria currently hastwo flags due to the ongoing civil war that started in 2011. The Syrian Arab Republic uses red, white, and black horizon- tal bars. The Syrian National Coalition and Syrian Interim Govern- ment flag uses green, white, and black bars. This was adopted from the first Syrian independence flag from 1932.
- 5. Syria is thegeographic home of an ancient and richly diverse civilization, dating back thou- sands of years. Its two largest cities, Damascus and Aleppo, date to pre-Biblical times. Their carved-stone block architectural wonders include Mosques and Churches built more than a thousand years ago. But modern Syria’s boundaries were arbitrarily drawn on a map by Brit- ish and French colonialists in 1920. Syria did not become independent until 1946. The country has been ruled by a string of military dictators. Air Force General Hafez al-Assad seized pow- er in 1970 and ruled the country for the next thirty years. His son Bashir al-Assad took control of the regime in 2000.
- 6. When popular revoltsswept the Arab world in 2011, toppling similar military regimes in Egypt, Tunisia and Libya, many journalists reported that the Assad regime in Damascus would suffer the same fate. This did not happen. Instead, a brutal and bloody civil war has raged since 2011, and some Western reporters and United Nations reports suggest that more than 500,000 Syrians have been killed. The Assad regime has survived, and at least one regular American reporter, Charles Glass, argues today that the war is far from over. Syria’s Sunni Muslims may be a majority, but the country’s Shi’ite Muslims, Druze, and Christian sects have divided the political landscape. The civil war seems locked in a bloody stalemate. Astonishingly, the café culture in the Old City of Damascus, has survived the civil war. Patrons smoke tobacco from hookah water pipes and dine on fried minced lamb kebabs with green salad—and order endless tiny cups of strong Turkish-style coffee, served from long- nosed brass coffee pots.[ii] Life goes on in the midst of war.
- 7. Syrian Food andCulture Modern Syrian cuisine heavily incorporates eggplant, zucchini, garlic, sesame seeds, rice, chickpeas, fava beans, lentils, cab- bage, cauliflower, vine leaves, cucumbers, tomatoes, olive oil, lemon juice, mint, pistachios, honey, and other fruits and nuts. For meat Syrians mostly eat lamb, mutton, and chicken. These ingredients are used to make the staple meals for Syri- ans such as; hummus, falafel, tabbouleh, shawarma, and baba ghanoush. The Syrian diet can be classified as Levantine throughout histo- ry, however after the French colonized the country more chees- es were added to their meals.
- 8. Syrian Dinning Etiquette TraditionalSyrian dinning culture is very conservative. In strict- er religious households men are not supposed to eat with wom- en unless they are related or married. However, this custom is often relaxed for Syrians today. Some restaurants have silver ware, and some don’t. If they don’t the custom is to eat with your right hand, while never letting your left hand to touch any of the food. It is respectful to try a little bit of every dish, and expect to be offered more, and accept. Every meal is accompanied by coffee. The first thing you re- ceive when welcomed at a Syrian home is a shot of coffee, at a restaurant you usually receive a slightly larger cup of coffee that is offered with plenty of sugar. Tea and mint lemonade is also a popular alternative.
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- 10. Syrian Hummus Cafe Inthe warmer weather the air moves in through the arches that partition the Syrian Hummus Cafe from the sidewalk bustling with people. In central Williamsburg on the corner of Grand St. and Driggs Ave you can smell the paprika, sumac, and peppers circulate and mix into the busy streets. There is no single door. You can enter from any of the arches and can immediately sit at one of the small table up front or sit next to someone on plush cushions that are on the floor. There is a height appropriate ta- ble to go with the cushions made out of a deep dark hardwood. After sitting down, you can see the intricate geometric trim- mings the line every edge on the walls. The trimmings are not too bright, they seem to melt into the walls. The floors are tiled with thousands of tiny tiles that make up a flowing Arabic script. Each tile reflects a little bit of warm light that bleeds through strings of beads that arch from the ceiling. The strings of bead are mostly pearl white with patterns of light green and blue run- ning through. The menu features a dozen specialty hummuses, babaga- noushes, and Lebnah balls. There are pita breads infused with delicate balances of nuts. There is manoushi bread almost like tiny pizzas. You can smell the freshest tabbouleh that sits on the table next to you. The table to your other side is filled with an assortment of dishes that appear to be floating with three ar- eas carved out for a couple hummuses and pita bread. When you eat you notice how easy it is to scoop out every last bit of hummus from the dish. It’s too easy to enter the Syrian Hummus Cafe and far too hard to leave after you are filled with the creamiest, most tasty hum- mus you have ever had.
- 11. Spreads and Appetizers Tabbouleh Roastedchickpea hummus Fattet Hummus Baba Ganoush Lebneh Stuffed Grape Leaves Olives Fresh Vegetable salad Halawet el Jibn (cheese) Makdous Main Dishes Freekeh with chicken Skewers of lamb Fried Kibbeh Kibbeh Sajiyeh Makdous Desserts Baklava Tamari Ka’ak (banana crepe) Coffee and Teas Black Tea Zouhourat Shay Kahwa murrah (traditional coffee) Muggeli Kammun Syrian Hummus Cafe
- 12. Coffee Cup Design Coffeeis served first, with as much sugar as you want. There are two types of Syrian coffee, the larger one that is shown above is kahwa. The more traditional coffee is called kahwa murrah, which is a smaller shot type of coffee that is very bitter. The coffee in general is similar to the Turkish style of coffee.
- 13. Personal Plate WithFig After receiving coffee a small fig jam plate is served that is used as the diner’s main dish. Syria is famous for its abundance of figs and the particularly large cut version of fig jam.
- 14. Hummus Hummus is astaple for Syrians and is served with most meals. The Syrian version has a few more spices than your average hummus. Pine nuts are often sprinkled on top.
- 15. Tabbouleh Tabbouleh is apopular vegetarian salad dish made from toma- toes, finely chopped parsley, mint, bulgur, and onion, and sea- soned with olive oil, lemon juice, and salt. Some variations add garlic or lettuce, or use couscous instead of bulgur. It is original- ly from the Syrian mountains.
- 16. Kibbeh Kibbeh is astaple for Syrians and is found everywhere, from restaurants, to street vendors, to the home. It is made from ground lamb usually with a dough on the outside made from burgul, corn meal, onions, and Syrian spices.
- 17. Baba Ganoush Baba Ganoushis made from eggplants,tomato, olive oil, bell pepper, and parsley leaves. The Syrian style has no tahini and is more smoky than normal. It is often served with hummus and eaten with pita bread.
- 18. Facade And PlanLayout
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