TRIPOLI, Lebanon: Nestled among shops in a bustling market in north Lebanon’s city of Tripoli, Mohammed al-Shaar is at his workshop making traditional tarboosh hats, keeping up a family craft despite dwindling demand.
Reputedly the last tarboosh craftsman in Lebanon, the Tripoli native has been making the hats for 25 years, with know-how passed on by his grandfather.
“Demand for tarbooshes has collapsed,” says al-Shaar, “But I do this job out of passion. I feel that my soul is tied to this business.” – Tea Ziade/AFPTV/AFP
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