Damascus: Opus Sectile Makers
Date: c. 1990
Stonemasons in Damascus produced opus sectile mosaics in similar style of the Mamluks. These tiles are used in the renovation and restoration of old buildings in Damascus. The artisans restore extant and damaged parts, create copies if the motifs can be reconstructed, or make new mosaics in an appropriate style. Johannes Kalter notes that this craft is supported by the government because it beings in foreign currency from areas such as the Gulf states. See also: Mason; Tile Maker.
Citation: Kalter, Johannes, “Urban Handicrafts”, in Kalter, Johannes, Margareta Pavaloi, and Maria Zerrnickel, eds. The Arts and Crafts of Syria: Collection Antoine Touma and Linden-Museum Stuttgart (London and New York: Thames and Hudson, 1992), p. 66, fig. 102.