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The Badr Hassoun Family continues to make olive oil-based soap as they have for
the last centuries. Some historians acknowledge, that chemists from Tripoli were
the first to process soap. Traditionally, a bride was given an assortment of
scented soap, before leaving for her husband’s house. Soap was considered a
symbol of purity. However, when this tradition began to die out, so did the soap
makers.
Making soap is labor intensive as well as time consuming. First, the olive oil
must be boiled and stirred in a large cauldron for six hours. Then certain
ingredients are added to the oil and heated briefly until the oil is turned into
a soft paste. At that point, perfumes and natural colors are added. The hot
mixture is left to cool overnight before being cut into a variety of shapes.
The renewed interest in handmade aromatherapy soaps is
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largely due to a growing number of people who, fascinated with self-development
and well-being, start taking their health in their own hands. Bader Hassoun’s
workshop in the Khan Al-Saboun has never welcomed so many visitors, interested to see how a family’s craft has been preserved
over the centuries thanks to skill, exactitude and training but most all, thanks
to the artisans’ love for their work. At a time when real craftsmanship becomes
more expensive, the handmade aromatherapy and herbal soaps from Tripoli, combine
quality and value, and are still affordable
Craftsmanship plays an essential role because it helps us define our
relationship to the material world. Buying a beautiful handmade object gives us
a sense of timelessness and permanence at an age when our consumer’s society is
obsessed by the new and constantly stressed by shrinking time
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