Aleppo heritage - The Industry of Aleppo soap

Presented By: Bushra Dabbagh

Aleppo History   

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Aleppo has stood at the crossroads of trade routes across Syria since at least the 3rd millennium BC the city was mentioned in ancient Syrian manuscripts.

It is the largest city in Syria, and is situated on a plateau in the northwest of the country, some 100 kilometres from both the Mediterranean to the west, and the Euphrates River to the east, a location that has kept Aleppo at the centre of international communication and commerce. this is reflected in the historic citadel, which contains one of the largest and best-preserved bazaars in the region, a testimony to the integral role of trade in the city's development.

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The city was conquered by the Seleucids in the 3rd century BC, who named it Beroea, and became increasingly important from this period as a commercial hub connecting the Mediterranean with Central Asia. It became part of the Roman Empire in the 1st century BC, and prospered as a prime destination for merchant caravans, until being pillaged by the Sasanian king Khosrow I in 540 AD. The city was renamed Halab at the Muslims Era in 637 AD, and developed as a cultural centre, attracting philosophers, poets and other intellectual luminaries

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Commercial activity was curtailed in 1260, following the invasion and massacre of the city by the Mongols, and it was not until the incorporation of Aleppo into the Ottoman Empire in 1516 that economic activity was substantially renewed, assisted by the decline of the northern trade routes around the Black Sea. Persian silks and Indian pepper were among the main imports brought to Aleppo by caravan trains from Central Asia, but this trade was also greatly enriched by Syrian products that were on sale in souks throughout the city, and which formed an important addition to the merchants' imported wares, and local products as well are available.

Local Products Local products available in Aleppo included  Textiles and woven cloths  Soaps and dyes  Hides  Wool and cotton  vegetables  fruit and nuts especially Aleppo pistachio. 

Al-Madina Souq

Al-Madina Souq 

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Al-Madina Souq : is the covered souq-market located at the heart of the Syrian city of Aleppo within the walled ancient part of the city. With its long and narrow alleys. al-Madina Souq is the largest covered historic market in the world, with an approximate length of 13 kilometers. It is a major trade centre for imported luxury goods, such as raw silk from Iran, spices and dyes from India and many other products.

Al-Madina Souq is also home to local products such as wool, agricultural products and soap.

Most of the souqs date back to the 14th century and are named after various professions and crafts, hence the wool souq, the copper souq, and so on. Aside from trading, the souq accommodated the traders and their goods in khans (caravanserais) scattered within the souq. Other types of small market-places were called caeserias (Caeserias are smaller than khans in size and functioned as workshops for craftsmen.

Most of the khans took their names after their function and location in the souq, and are characterized by beautiful façades and entrances with fortified wooden doors.

Al-Madina Souq is part of the Ancient City of Aleppo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1986.

Aleppo cuisine

Aleppo cuisine.

The food culture is a very important thing in Aleppo.  Aleppo inhabitants are proud of their special dishes and spices.  Zaatar is a mix of spices and thyme which is a traditional plate beside oliveoil for breakfast 

Aleppo Architect

Aleepo Architect Aleppo is Considered to be one of the world's oldest continually inhabited cities, ď‚ž Many civilizations lived in Aleppo leaving a unique heritage of architect. ď‚ž Modern architect consist of using calcium rocks which is widely spread in the area to cover buildings ď‚ž

Aleppo soap   

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Aleppo soap is also known as savon d'Alep laurel soap Syrian soap or ghar soap, the Syrian word for 'laurel') It is a handmade, hard bar soap associated with the city of Aleppo, Syria.

Aleppo soap is classified as a Castile soap as it is a hard soap made from olive oil and lye, from which it is distinguished by the inclusion of laurel oil.

History and Origin The origin of Aleppo soap is unknown. Unverified claims of its great antiquity abound, such as its supposed use

by Queen Cleopatra of Egypt and Queen Zenobia of Syria. It is commonly thought that the process of soapmaking emanated from the Levant region (of which Aleppo is a main city) and to have moved west from there to Europe after the first Crusades. This is based on the claim that the earliest soap made in Europe was shortly after the Crusades, but soap was known to the Romans in the first century AD and Zosimos of Panopolis described soap and soapmaking in ca. 300 AD. ď‚ž Today most Aleppo soap, especially that containing more than 16% of laurel oil, is exported to Europe and East Asia ď‚ž

Ingredients    

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Traditional Aleppo soap is made with olive oil, laurel berry oil, water and lye, while the relative concentration of laurel oil (typically 2–30%) determines the quality and cost of the soap. Laurus nobilis, from which the berries come, is categorized as an underutilized species. As it is produced only from natural oils, Aleppo soap is also biodegradable.

Manufacturing process Traditional Aleppo soap (Ghar) is made by the "hot process".  Modern ways have been developed and now it can be prepared on the “cold process". 

First Stage ï‚ž

Soap in a vat

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Firstly, the olive oil is brought into a large, in-ground vat along with water and lye.  Underneath the vat, there is an underground fire which heats the contents to a boil. Boiling  lasts three days while the oil reacts with the lye and water to become a thick liquid soap. The laurel oil is added at the end of the process, and after it is mixed in, the mix is taken from the vat and poured over a large sheet of waxed paper on the floor of the factory.

Second Stage ï‚ž

Soap cooling

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At this point the soap is a large, green, flat mass, and it is allowed to cool down and harden for about a day. While the soap is cooling, workers with planks of wood strapped to their feet walk over the soap to try to smooth out the batch and make it an even thickness.

Third Stage ď‚ž

Cutting the soap

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The soap is then cut; workers drag a rake-like cutting device through the soap to cut it one way, then again the other way until the whole mass is cut into individual cubes. Each cube is stamped with the soap artisan's name.

Forth Stage ï‚ž

Drying the soap

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The cubes of soap are then stacked in staggered cylinders to allow maximum air exposure. Once they have dried sufficiently, they are put into a special subterranean chamber to be aged for six months to a year.

Final result ď‚ž

While it is aging, the soap goes through several chemical changes. First, and most importantly, the free alkaline content of the soap (the alkaline which did not react with the oil during saponification) breaks down upon slow reaction with air. The moisture content of the soap is also reduced, making the soap hard and long lasting. And lastly, the color of the outside of the soap turns a pale gold, while the inside remains green.

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In the 20th century, with the introduction of cold process soap making, Allepian soap artisans began introducing a variety of herbs and essential oils to their soaps.

 Interesting Fact: Unlike most soaps, Aleppo soap will float in water.

Benefits of Aleppo Soap

Safe to bathe babies ď‚ž

Natural and biodegradable Aleppo soap is one of the most famous beauty products of the old age, natural moisturizer and humectants, so pure in its form (it has no preservatives, chemical additives or fragrances)

Shampoo & Conditioner ď‚ž

It can be used to resolve fine hair brittle, dry hair, bifurcation problems, dandruff problem, use the bubble to give a scalp massage.

Men may also use be ancient Aleppo soap bubbles to shave, as shaving water, save money

Helps to the naturally skin whitening ď‚ž

Ancient soap is a natural skin whitener: Moving through the layers of melanin and cell metabolism, to the formation of skin epidermis freckles, sunburn, dark spots, and similar antioxidants like vitamin E can reduce the formation of melanin.

Cleanser ď‚ž

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Ancient soap and Cleansing: particularly suitable for facial makeup remover to clean after, better than any other effects Cleansing Supplies. Use ancient soap to wash once a day, the equivalent of a day with a mask. And it can be used to deep clean the skin to prevent rough skin, moisturize and nourish the skin, make your skin smooth and elastic. It also can be used as a shaving cream.

Laurel oil is an effective cleanser, antibiotic, anti-fungal and anti-itching agent.

Removes blackheads ď‚ž

Everyone's skin due to physical fitness, diet, patterns of life, work environment, age, will lead to over-stimulate the oil glands and increased sebum secretion, the skin can not be quickly discharged grease so that excess grease filled pores caused obstruction, plus the air of dust, dirt and oxidation, making contact with the air of a gradually darkening, forming a hardened grease blockage that is blackheads.

Removes acne pimples ď‚ž

Olive oil molecules inside the ancient soap is one of the smallest ever found in vegetable oil molecules are able to penetrate the skin deep to oil, decontamination decomposition of aging skin, and laurel oil squalene ingredients contained inside he can play to good bactericidal and repair the problem, most importantly, this process does not leave residue, protects the skin naturally, without any chemical composition, which is the best for man's protection and care.

Moisturize the skin ď‚ž

The Aleppo soap rich in vitamin A, D, E, K, F and so rich in unsaturated fatty acids, which are easily absorbed by the skin of fat-soluble vitamins, so that the skin fresh and natural, no greasy feeling. Add olive oil contained antioxidant polyphenols, which can effectively prevent cell aging due to oxidation of fat that occurs brings stains, wrinkles and other phenomena. Autumn and winter dry skin, moisturize the skin in a timely manner is the key to skin care, especially for sensitive skin and easy to peel the skin, the skin needs moisture replenishment can only be efficient.

Reduces stretch marks ď‚ž

The stretch marks that appear during pregnancy, are every pregnant woman's headache. Mainly the stretch marks are formed during pregnancy by hormonal influence, the increasingly swollen belly skin elastic fibers and collagen fibers are subject to different degrees of damage or breakage, thinning of the skin, external force of traction, resulting in abdominal wavy stretch marks pink or purple. Olive oil is rich in easily absorbed through the skin of fatsoluble vitamins A, D, E, F also rich in unsaturated fatty acids, particularly vitamin E content is the highest of all plants. These vitamins can be absorbed through the skin, not only to retain the original number of nutrients, but also to give more elasticity to the skin.