Katara Dhow Festival Unveils Traditional, Eco-Friendly Handicrafts

(MENAFN- Gulf Times) The 13th edition of the Katara Traditional Dhow Festival, which wrapped up Saturday, showcased traditional handicrafts as a model of the core relationship between utility and beauty in the tools and aesthetics of professions and crafts related to the maritime heritage. This is in addition to their close connection with nature, making them environmentally- and human-friendly components.
The festival at Katara beach abounded with a variety of traditional handcrafts and works associated with diving and hunting as one of the core popular, maritime pillars of the Qatari and Gulf heritage in general, including the manufacturing of traditional boats, decoration on gypsum, palm frond and wickerwork, fishing nets and pottery.
A handful of craftsmen and workers in the Qatari and Gulf heritage emphasised the importance of this event in shedding the light on the traditional handcrafts and heritage profession. They highlighted their untility, aethetics and environmental human-friendliness, pointing out that these handcrafts are closely connected with arts through decoration and using colours and lines to showcase manufactured tools that best suit the daily use.
The craft is similar to wood carving, as the craftsmen use tools to carve and smooth the wood in a manner that requires precision and skill in building these bearings, said Mohamed Ali Ansari, a maker of traditional boat and ship models.
He added that the models being showcased represented all types of traditional dhow, including those used for pearl-diving , travel, transportation of merchandise and fishing, indicating that such a craft is one of the authentic Qatari and Gulf heritages, therefore people are so keen to purchase it, because it is largely eco-friendly.
For his part, Mohamed Abdullah, who makes gypsum decorations, pointed out that such a profession has been maintaining its significance since long time ago, indicating that his pavilion showcases models of gypsum decorations, windows, doors and various artistic forms.
The visitors of the expo were keen to have a glimpse of the history of these decorations and their methods of use in the heritage and ancient hostels, he said.

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