the necessary instruments and know the terms used to describe the activities and products of this craft. Unfortunately, the number of craftsmen has fallen and there is currently only one craftsman.
Yasin son of Amin son of Muhammad Said Sheikh Al-Sroujieh in his shop in Suq As-Surujiyya in Damascus before the partial demolition of the market in 1970
The story of the As-Surujiyya’s last master craftsman: Khalil Ibrahim Sheik Al-Sroujieh With the spread of modern means of transport and the disappearance of horses from public life, the functional and professional purpose of the As-Surujiyya Suq faded away. Most of the skilled saddle manufacturers left the country, taking the secrets of the old trade with them. However, horse breeders (in particular, of Arabian horses) in all parts of the world still want to buy Arabian saddles and accessories, even if the aim is solely to decorate their horses for events or photo shoots or to hang them on the walls of their houses and guesthouses as traditional decorative items.
need for each profession to have an official or master to find appropriate solutions to problems in the market or among the craftsmen. This person was called the master craftsman (Sheikh Al-Kar). As our family was the best able and of longest standing in this trade, our forefather was chosen as a master for this profession at the end of the eighteenth century. The craft was passed down through the family and the title of Sheikh Al-Kar has remained in the family. This professional title has eclipsed our surname so that the family now has the surname of Sheik Al-Sroujieh.” Khalil son of Ibrahim son of Ahmed son of Amin son of Muhammed Said Sheikh As-Surujiyya is the chief of the saddle manufacturing craft today and the last master craftsman. This title was also held by his paternal grandfather (Sheikh Muhammad Said, known as Abu Amin), a senior expert in the profession and the representative of saddle manufacturing workers to other professions and the head master craftsman as well as its representative to the Ottoman state. His powers included the ability to grant (or withdraw) a license to practice the profession, under a decree issued in 1797 (military division record no. 330, afterwards Damascus High Court record no. 240). The craftsmen usually inherited the position of master craftsmen from their fathers or brothers. They were changed if they were discharged through a decree from the sultan calling for the appointment of a new master craftsman and setting out the qualities sought. The As-Surujiyya Suq did not only specialize at that time in saddle manufacture; it was also a center for the production of cases for pistols and small rifles as well as covers to protect books and amulets (Al-Dimashqi, 1341H).
Khalil Sheik Al-Sroujieh says: “The people working in saddle manufacturing were called “suruji” (from the Arabic word for saddle, suruj). When there were any disputes or problems, a person with experience, intelligence and tact would be chosen to deal with it. Above all, he had to have the financial capacity, piety and personality to solve the traders’ problems. The governor of Damascus issued a decree on the VOL.7, NO. 1 - 2021
23 Arab Horse Couture