The “Community Markets” event, which was attended by the Ministry of Culture and represented by the Heritage and Identity Department, concluded successfully on Thursday with a special wing for handicrafts in this event, which included woodcraft, plaster sculpture, black weaving and the toy industry.

The five-day “Community Markets” event, which kicked off on March 27, sought to support productive families and familiarize the generations with crafts and handicrafts. Twenty-nine shops specializing in selling traditional foods, sweets, traditional clothes and other items participated in the event.

Abdullah al-Haddad, a participant in the Ministry of Culture’s wing, said: “I am interested in making old crafts and handicrafts, such as traditional ships, built-in boxes, diving tools, and land and sea tools. I inherited this profession from my father and I was keen on continuing it and participating in various events held in Qatar.”

Al-Haddad explained that his participation in the “Community Markets” event is aimed at teaching the new generation handicrafts and professions, which the State of Qatar has paid considerable attention to in recent years with the aim of keeping them from disappearing in light of the global development and modernity.

He added, “I make traditional ships, including the Bethel, which was used for sea travel, the Banosh, which was used for fishing trips, and the Galbot, which is used for diving.”

For his part, Mr. Mohamed Abdullah said, He participated in the event with the craft of sculpting on plaster. This craft was widespread at one time because of the many uses of sculpture, which include engraving doors and roofs, and decorating mosques using various means of sculpture. He stressed his keenness to be present at such events in order to preserve the craft and deliver it to future generations, who need to know everything related to the Qatari heritage in order to preserve the heritage. He explained the carving process on the plaster goes through several stages, the first of which is putting down the plaque and then planning it according to the ornament that is to be applied during the carving process. After that comes carving on the plaster then finally putting down the appropriate colors for the method of design and decorating, as each method has its own color.

Nora Muhsin, a participant in this wing, said that weaving black requires high skill and precision in the process of designing and introducing colors. She said mistakes are not acceptable because they negatively affect form and design.

The weaving process begins with spinning wool to obtain thread that falls into the weaving process, she said, then designing the final form of the dam. Weaving begins, some of which take days, months and years to complete until each piece is prepared, she said, adding that she weaves a 15-meter-long embankment called the House of Poetry Gallery during six years of work.

Bahia al-Sayed said she started working in handicrafts by making puppets and old toys that are used to make wood. She developed these toys by introducing traditional clothes to make them both aesthetic and traditional.

She said she participated in the event with a variety of crafts, including making puppets and decorating “craftsmen” with old cloth celebrating Ramadan.