Homs (Hims): Silk Weavers
Date: Early twentieth century
During her visit to Homs, notable traveler Gertrude Bell found that there is a loom in every house, where a weaver was weaving striped silk which the city is famous for. Throughout the streets of Homs, stretched silken yarns were displayed, cementing the prominence of the industry. The weavers are paid by piece and earned an excellent wage for their work.
Citation: Bell, Gertrude, Syria, the Desert and the Sown (London: William Heinemann, 1907), p. 182.
Homs (Hims): Silk Weavers
Date: 1930s
While the producers of silk textiles elsewhere in the country had largely moved to the use of European designs, those in Homs continued to focus on local fabrics, either in pure silk or silk-cotton mix. These fabrics are listed as aghabānī, ālāja, kaffiyya, malāya, and hatta. In 1932 39,000 pieces of hatta were produced, with 66,000 being produced in the following year. See also: Lace Maker; Cotton Weaver; Wool Weaver.
Citation: Hakim, George, “Industry”, in Himadeh, Saʿid B., ed., Economic Organization of Syria (Beirut: The American Press, 1936. Reprinted New York: AMS Press, 1973, p. 151.