Syrian woman in Lebanon escapes city lifestyle, makes living from pine trees

By Vesim Seyfettin and Naim Bercavi

BEIRUT, Lebanon (AA) - A Syrian woman has found peace in the countryside after making life decision around five years ago and moved to the countryside in the east of Beirut.

Merve Abu Halil, who had to flee to Beirut with her family in 2012 due to the civil war in Syria, got her degree from the Fine Arts Faculty of Beirut University seven years ago and started her career in the media sector right after her graduation.

However, in time, she felt "quite overwhelmed" by the sound of the city and office life, and was attracted to nature.

She said she became interested in making decorative products from pine needles, and found out that Indians make baskets from pine needles. Over time, Merve added, she began to spend significant effort in learning this handicraft.

“After long trials and effort, I fully mastered this job in 2020,” she said.

Being in touch with nature offers the opportunity to express herself artistically, Merve said, adding that she now makes baskets and decorative products of different shapes and sizes from pine needles.

She collects raw materials for her products during nature walks, and uses various plants in addition to pine needles in the making of baskets.

She stressed that picking, preparing, and cleaning pine needles before starting to knit a product requires extreme patience and precision.

- Eco-friendly craft

Merve explained that piles of leaves that accumulate on roadsides in forest fires in Lebanon play a crucial role, adding that she uses these leaves for knitting and so contributed to the environment in some way.

The baskets are an alternative to disposable plastic bags and containers in addition to their aesthetic beauty, she stressed.

"This craft is environmentally friendly as no environmentally harmful or industrial materials are used. The baskets are used for both daily needs and decoration,” she said.

She noted that she does not see this job as just a means of livelihood, but also likes teaching how to make the baskets.

Merve said she created workshops for basket-making for all age groups, and that basket-making has an important place in her life in terms of both education and production.