Al-Hasakah – Majd al-Salem
The 68-year-old Jalal al-Dahwi, from the northeastern al-Hasakah governorate, is legendary for amassing uncommon and vintage rosaries and outdated cash.
Al-Dahwi, of al-Qahtaniyah city, receives some outdated rosaries as items from the Arab Gulf international locations specifically, and he has a priceless assortment that he retains in a “bag” with secret numbers, a few of that are value about 100 US {dollars}.
He resorts to the bag of rosary beads and cash when he has any monetary hardship, lowering their numbers with each monetary emergency.
Al-Dahwi instructed Enab Baladi that a lot of the prices of his daughter’s start got here from promoting a silver embroidered rosary value about 50 US {dollars}.
What saddens him is his incapacity to recuperate the outdated rosaries and cash that he sells or to purchase others as a result of they’re costly in gentle of the poor dwelling situations, in keeping with him.
It’s an costly pastime, particularly when speaking about outdated or priceless issues, whereas different priorities in life prevail, equivalent to securing every day wants, al-Dahwi instructed Enab Baladi.
He is aware of all of the retailers and stalls that promote and purchase rosary beads, cash, and outdated silver rings which might be scattered within the Qamishli market and different cities within the province, and their house owners, in flip, know him, however his frequent visits to them have turn out to be for the aim of promoting, not shopping for, as he was identified to do earlier than.
Profession of enjoyable and luck
Walid al-Hussein, 29, used to work as a pharmaceutical salesman. By advantage of his work, he travels every day to a lot of the governorate’s cities, equivalent to al-Jawadiya, al-Malikiyah, Rmeilan, al-Yarubiyah, and al-Darbasiyah.
Visiting stalls and retailers promoting rosaries and antiques has additionally turn out to be a part of al-Hussein’s work, in keeping with what he instructed Enab Baladi, as he turned a mediator to purchase particular issues for folks residing outdoors the nation, even for a sure share.
Over time, al-Hussein devoted himself fully to this career, benefiting from his expertise available in the market and his skill to carry collectibles from one metropolis to promote them available in the market of one other.
Al-Hussein considers this work pleasing, nevertheless it additionally will depend on luck. Generally he succeeds in “a worthwhile commerce in someday that’s equal to a full month’s wage in his earlier job,” and generally, it’s much less, however the loss is sort of non-existent, he added.
Al-Hussein shouldn’t be happy with promoting by retailers and stalls, as he present in specialised teams on social media a big market that gathers amateurs from everywhere in the world.
Al-Hussein reveals what he buys to those teams and makes on-line offers generally, however he finds it troublesome to obtain the value of the products if the customer is residing outdoors Syria.
Alaa al-Hamdoush, 45, proprietor of a stall for purchasing and promoting rosaries and outdated cash, spent 15 years on this career, and he’s the one one who reveals rosaries inlaid with silver together with valuable stones, the value of a few of which reaches a million Syrian kilos.
Concerning the shopping for and promoting motion, al-Hamdoush says that it’s few and never because it was earlier than, as individuals are “hungry,” including that “shopping for such issues has turn out to be a luxurious.”
Generally, the week passes with out al-Hamdoush promoting something, however he succeeds somewhere else wherein he compensates for his loss. Regardless of this, engaged on a stall doesn’t burden him with paying lease and taxes, which helps him to proceed his work.
Residents of al-Hasakah governorate endure from the excessive value of dwelling and the low worth of month-to-month salaries and pensions within the personal and public sectors, which drives a lot of them to work independently.
On 30 October, the Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration of northeastern Syria (AANES) raised the month-to-month salaries of employees in its areas of affect by including an quantity of 100,000 Syrian kilos (about 17 US {dollars}).
The salaries of employees within the Autonomous Administration areas begin at 260,000 Syrian kilos (42 US {dollars}), that are the salaries of lecturers, and steadily rise in keeping with the establishment wherein the worker works, the place, or the certificates he/she holds till it reaches 900,000 Syrian kilos (about 155 US {dollars}).
The markets of northeastern Syria are witnessing a wave of excessive costs that embrace most simple commodities, primarily legumes, grains, vegetable oils, and a few varieties of imported canned items, accompanied by a state of common discontent among the many residents.
Sector out of accountability
In accordance with Walid al-Hussein, the outdated cash available in the market are divided into two components, a few of that are thought of antiquities, which the younger man fears buying and selling in an effort to keep away from authorized accountability, and he restricts his commerce to cash which might be lower than 100 years outdated.
As for the rosaries which might be made with valuable stones, they’re largely imported from Iraq, Turkey, or Iran, in addition to the Arab Gulf states.
Among the many varieties of these stones: amber, turquoise, and coke, that are excessive in value on account of their elaborate work. Then again, there are factories in Damascus and Aleppo for the manufacture of rosaries, however their making will depend on the business facet and doesn’t appeal to amateurs regardless of their low value.
In accordance with al-Hussein, there isn’t any entity or establishment within the governorate that regulates this subject, and as an alternative, reliance is on the skilled folks whom retailers flip to to guage their priceless commodities.
