Damascus: Cultivators of Hemp

Date: c. 1840

According to Sir John Bowring (d. 1872), large quantities of hemp were produced around Damascus, amounting to around 900 qinṭārs (1 Syrian qinṭār = 256.4 kg). This product was primarily used for domestic purposes, including the making of cords and twine. Hemp was not exported. See also: Maker of Cord and Twine; Rope Maker.

Citation: Bowring, John. Report on the Commercial Statistics of Syria (London: Her Majesty’s Stationery Office, 1840. Reprinted: New York: Arno Press, 1973), p. 18.