The Assyrian Democratic Organization
By Þeyhmus Edis
Mardin, Turkey- AINA — Hamsih Uðurgel is the first Assyrian saddle maker in Mardin and has been plying his craft — taught to him by his father — since the age of 7. Despite a brief hiatus when he gave up his trade to try life in Europe, he soon realized that saddle making was his true path. Uðurgel, who has been making saddles for the past 60 years, explained: “If you combine patience and craftsmanship when making saddles you will be able to create real art.
But in today’s world there is no art or craftsmanship; everything is made with technology. People used to travel with horses, donkeys and mules, but today they compete to buy the most modern and most expensive car. Technology has taken over our lives and our careers. We even hear of people who stop farming.
” The leather-working Luddite added that at one point he had tried a modern lifestyle. “I stopped making pack saddles and I traveled to Europe and Holland like other Assyrians. But I realized that no one can abandon their country for personal interests. I became homesick so I returned to the land in which I was born and raised and I started making saddles again.
” Speaking about his life in Mardin, the craftsman painted a picture of harmony and tolerance: “My closest friends are all Muslims. In all my 65 years this is the only place I have seen Muslims and Assyrians living under the same roof.
They have a unique love and respect for each other. I relate this respect to tolerance between religions.” No wonder he came back home.
