Qalb

Turquoise Mountain and the ALIPH Foundation have teamed up to train four of our apprentices in product development. Led by master artisans and our own in-house design team, the apprentices have developed their own product collections, which are on display in our showroom and here on our webstore. With a focus on the traditional crafts of wood carving, wood-mosaic, carpentry, and mother of pearl inlay; the apprentices experienced the full design, production and sales cycle. All four collections celebrate craftsmanship and the region’s cultural heritage. Make sure to ask about these on your next visit and support our apprentices’ emerging craft skills by placing a product order.

Qalb focuses on traditional carpentry. In early twentieth century Syria, carpenters were mostly responsible for large scale commissions including architectural woodwork, roofs, ceilings and wooden mashrabiyah. They would also make household objects including boxes and cabinets. Since each required a different set of skills, carpenters would often specialise in making a single type of product. Several highly skilled carpenters came to Jordan in 2011 following the crisis in Syria and established their own businesses in Amman. Turquoise Mountain now works with them to develop handmade wooden pieces. Although they have decades of experience, they feel they still have so much to learn from working wood. They collaborate with each other, forming new craft networks across the country, to make traditional pieces, while also experimenting with new techniques and product typologies. They are keen to ensure that their skills and know-how are passed on to the next generation though training and apprenticeship programmes.