Arabic Koran, a beautiful Syrian village, belonging to the Jindires sub-district,
Arabic Afrin district in the northern countryside of Aleppo,
Arabic and it is 5 kilometers away to the north.
Arabic It is also 23 kilometers away from the city of Afrin to the west,
Arabic and also 85 kilometers from the city of Aleppo to the northwest.
Arabic To its north lie the villages of Kurdan and Jouban,
Arabic and to the east are the villages of Miska Fawqani and Miska Tahtani,
Arabic and to the west is the village of Kafr Safra.
Arabic Its area is approximately 800 hectares, mostly planted with olive trees,
Arabic and a significant part of it used to be irrigated through water canals reaching it from the Midanki Dam.
Arabic Its people rely on agriculture for their livelihood,
Arabic especially olive cultivation, and on animal husbandry.
Arabic Currently, about 2,000 of its original inhabitants live there,
Arabic in addition to Syrian families forcibly displaced from various areas.
Arabic Khurshid, Kadro, Majid, Suleiman, Ibrahim, and Safo are its most famous families.
Arabic It has two primary schools, the older of which dates back to the sixties of the last century,
Arabic and it also has three olive presses and a dairy factory.
Arabic Its people are simple farmers, who are characterized by calmness, tolerance, and love for others.
Arabic A portion of them have migrated to Turkey and Europe to work there.
Arabic Peace be upon you.
Arabic And upon you be peace, welcome.
Arabic How are you?
Arabic Praise be to God, how are you?
Arabic God keep you safe.
Arabic God give you health.
Arabic Can we get to know you?
Arabic A little, I barely manage.
Arabic I mean your noble name, mother of what?
Arabic Hanifa Suleiman.
Arabic A warm welcome to Hajja Hanifa.
Arabic God keep you safe, a warm welcome.
Arabic A warm welcome, is this your house?
Arabic Yes.
Arabic I see there are flowers and such, can we see it?
Arabic Come in, come see, come.
Arabic Let's go, God willing.
Arabic Welcome.
Arabic Your house is very beautiful, Mashallah. Whose work are these flowers?
Arabic I planted them.
Arabic You? Count for me a few types of flowers let's see.
Arabic Welcome, come let me show you.
Arabic Two colors, we have Dash Turok and all this type.
Arabic Yeah, what are these? What is this called?
Arabic This in Kurdish is Gharib Chichak, I don't know in Arabic.
Arabic Chichak?
Arabic Yes, Chichak, meaning a flower.
Arabic And this? This and this?
Arabic This is Sajjad.
Arabic Sajjad?
Arabic Yes.
Arabic And this?
Arabic And this is Luki.
Arabic Luki or aromatic?
Arabic No, aromatic, that one there is aromatic.
Arabic And what is this?
Arabic All of this is aromatic.
Arabic Oh wow!
Arabic Yes.
Arabic This, this, what is this climbing here?
Arabic This is Jumali.
Arabic Jumali?
Arabic Mmm.
Arabic Mashallah, your house is very beautiful. And there, what do you have inside there?
Arabic These are lemons.
Arabic Lemons, Mashallah, Mashallah.
Arabic True, it is a small house, come a bit closer here, but it's very beautiful, very, very beautiful.
Arabic Is this carnation?
Arabic Yes, yes.
Arabic This is lily.
Arabic Lily?
Arabic Yes, this one, the red and yellow.
Arabic Yes.
Arabic Your house is very beautiful.
Arabic God give you health.
Arabic May God bless you, what are you cooking today?
Arabic Yabraq.
Arabic Yabraq?
Arabic Yes.
Arabic Ah, what do you call it?
Arabic Sorma.
Arabic Sorma?
Arabic We also say Azar Al-Din, come on, eat with us.
Arabic May God provide for you.
Arabic I swear by God Almighty, please come join us.
Arabic What is this called, this and this?
Arabic In Arabic, they said this is called Cassandra.
Arabic Cassandra?
Arabic Yes, Cassandra.
Arabic Yes, and this?
Arabic I swear I don't know what this is called, I don't know.
Arabic Oh ma'am, may God give you health.
Arabic May God give you health, welcome.
Arabic Your house is very nice, may God make you happy.
Arabic Thank you, thank you.
Arabic Peace be upon you.
Arabic And upon you be peace and God's mercy, a warm welcome.
Arabic God give you health.
Arabic May God give you health.
Arabic How are you?
Arabic Praise be to God, Lord of the Worlds.
Arabic Can we get to know you?
Arabic Hassan Mustafa Ali, Abu Ahmed Koran.
Arabic A warm welcome to you, Uncle Abu Ahmed.
Arabic May God keep you safe.
Arabic Let's walk slowly a bit.
Arabic You are very welcome.
Arabic Tell me a little about the services in this village.
Arabic Well, the services here in our village, there is a lot of shortage.
Arabic How?
Arabic First, regarding the school, it doesn't have a fence at all.
Arabic So there is a school?
Arabic But it has no fence at all, it's a primary school.
Arabic There are two, both are primary?
Arabic Exactly. Therefore, there is no fence.
Arabic The kids are playing over there among cars and such,
Arabic for example, accidents happen too, you know.
Arabic That's first. Second, regarding the mosquitoes, the gnats,
Arabic they cause germs, Leishmaniasis, and such,
Arabic you suddenly see all the kids here, their faces are covered with it.
Arabic What is the reason, why?
Arabic Because of the lack of... there are no sewage channels or anything, there is no sewage system.
Arabic No sewage system at all in your village?
Arabic Okay, isn't there cleanliness? Isn't there anyone here who removes... I mean the garbage?
Arabic They do remove it, they remove it once a week.
Arabic They remove it?
Arabic Well, they don't remove it... they remove it once a week.
Arabic Tell me about the water here, how is the water and electricity situation?
Arabic Well, regarding the water situation, it comes for four hours a month.
Arabic A month, water comes for four hours!
Arabic Four hours, every week one hour.
Arabic Every week one hour?
Arabic Every week one hour, it comes from Joubana.
Arabic Mmm, is it enough?
Arabic I swear it's not enough or anything at all.
Arabic Mmm.
Arabic It is not enough, not at all.
Arabic And the electricity?
Arabic Electricity, well recently it's been coming...
Arabic It comes from Turkey or from wherever, I don't know, it comes I don't know...
Arabic So you have, do you have a public grid?
Arabic Yes, we have a grid, yeah now we have a grid.
Arabic That's fine. 24 hours?
Arabic Yes.
Arabic Is it good?
Arabic Sometimes it gets cut off.
Arabic It's not that it doesn't get cut off, unless there is maintenance or something...
Arabic That's normal. That issue is resolved.
Arabic Tell me something, do you have a clinic?
Arabic There is no clinic, we have no clinic here in the village at all.
Arabic Now, how far are you from Jindires?
Arabic About 5 kilometers, 6 kilometers or so.
Arabic That means you go to the clinics in Jindires?
Arabic We go to Jindires... like that.
Arabic You go to Jindires. Well, are there any clinics coming here?
Arabic They come, about once a week...
Arabic Mobile clinics too.
Arabic A mobile clinic.
Arabic How is the bread situation?
Arabic The bread situation... these grocers bring it, the grocer brings it.
Arabic Where do they bring it from?
Arabic He brings it from Jindires.
Arabic From Jindires. Is it available?
Arabic Yes, available, but very expensive, brother.
Arabic How much?
Arabic Expensive... seven flatbreads for a thousand.
Arabic They say seven flatbreads for a thousand. Okay, how is the situation of the people here in general?
Arabic Their situation?
Arabic Yes.
Arabic Their situation is below average.
Arabic Below average.
Arabic Yes, below average, yes.
Arabic What is the source of their income and livelihood? Let's see this man.
Arabic Peace be upon you.
Arabic Upon you be peace.
Arabic We are bothering you, stop your donkeys for a bit. Let's talk a little.
Arabic How is the situation of the people here?
Arabic Honestly, it varies from person to person. Some are doing well, and some are not doing well.
Arabic May God help them. What do most people live on?
Arabic They are living off these olive trees, that's it. There is nothing except olives, and the mercy of God.
Arabic Do you have animals?
Arabic No... as for animals, every house has two or three.
Arabic And the rest is theirs.
Arabic Not all of them either.
Arabic Oh, you mean goats, sheep, or cows?
Arabic Well, there are no cows, just goats and sheep.
Arabic May God give you health.
Arabic May God give you health too.
Arabic Thank you.
Arabic May God give you health, welcome.
Arabic May God give you health.
Arabic Hajja Zarifa, a unique and distinguished figure in this village,
Arabic and she might be a standout mark among its personalities.
Arabic She is a bit advanced in age, God didn't grant her children,
Arabic but she married her husband to her cousin so he could have children and they would be like her real children.
Arabic She delivered most of the women in the village, because she loves to do good deeds and have the reward go to her husband's soul, for free of course.
Arabic We will be with you on a visit in a short segment to Hajja Zarifa's house,
Arabic to learn about her personal dimensions and her relationship with the place and the good people of the village.
Arabic Please come with us.
Arabic Oh Hajja.
Arabic Oh Lord.
Arabic Hello uncle. How are you?
Arabic Where is Hajja Zarifa?
Arabic Please come in, welcome.
Arabic Hello. Hello Mukhtar.
Arabic Welcome, you are very welcome.
Arabic How are you? Welcome mother, welcome. Please go ahead.
Arabic May God give you health.
Allah y'afiki. May God give you health.
Shlonik? How are you?
Alhamdulillah. Praise be to God.
Shlon sahtik? How is your health?
Alhamdulillah. Praise be to God.
Alhamdulillah rabb al-'alamin. Praise be to God, Lord of the Worlds.
Qaddesh 'umrik sar el-barake? How old are you now, with blessings?
Min go nizanim... khamsa w thmanin. I said I don't know... eighty-five.
Khamsa w thmanin sene, ma sha' Allah, el-'umr kullo. Eighty-five years, Mashallah, a long life to you.
Alhamdulillah. Praise be to God.
El-'umr kullo. A long life to you.
Alhamdulillah. Praise be to God.
Alhamdulillah rabb al-'alamin. Hki li 'annik shway. Praise be to God, Lord of the Worlds. Tell me a bit about yourself.
Shlon? How so?
Hki li 'annik shway 'an hayatik. Tell me a bit about yourself, about your life.
Wallah tayyibe, alhamdulillah, mithl hallaq. By God, it is good, praise be to God, like now.
Hallaq shway ya'ni fi mshakil... ahsan, ahsan. Now there are a bit of problems... it's better, better.
Tayyibe, wallah hadol kullon mithl 'ala rasi w 'ala 'ayni. It is good, by God all these people are upon my head and my eyes (very dear).
Allah ysallim rasik ya rabb w yahmiki. Ya'ni el-hayat el-yom ahla walla awwali? May God bless your head, Lord, and protect you. Is life today better or in the past?
La wallah, hallaq mithl awwali w awwali mithl hallaq, hek ana... No by God, now is like the past, and the past is like now, this is how I...
Mithl ba'd? The same?
E mithl ba'd. Yes, the same.
Waqt el-bashar... waqt el-bashar, ana bmut, mish min ju'. During the time of people... the time of people, I would die, but not from hunger.
Ya'ni waqt el-bashar rah. Meaning, the time of true people is gone.
Na'am. Wayn... hada rah. Yes. Where... that is gone.
Tayyib. Hki li hasab ana ma fhimt inno hadritik inti Allah ma a'taki wlad. Alright. Tell me, as I understood, that you, God didn't give you children.
Zawwajti zawjik, mo hek? You married off your husband, right?
E. Yes.
Min jawwazti? Who did you marry him to?
Ana? Me?
E, min akhattilo? Yes, who did you get for him?
Bint khali. My maternal uncle's daughter.
Bint khalik. Your uncle's daughter.
E bint khali. Yes, my uncle's daughter.
W shu ajaha wlad? And what children did she have?
Alhamdulillah, jabat thnen walad w bint. Praise be to God, she had two boys and a girl.
Shad 'umron? How old are they?
Wallah e ma ba'rif, arba'in, tlathin... By God I don't know, forty, thirty...
Hay zghir, hay zghir. Akbar min hay w min honik, min honik... This one is young, this one is young. Older than this one and from over there, from over there...
Hada ibn zawjik walla ibno? Is this your husband's son or his grandson?
Wallah ibn jawzi, ibn jawzi l-ibni. By God he is my husband's son, my husband's son who is my son.
Ibn jawzik. Your husband's son.
E. Yes.
W le ibni. And to you, your son.
W inti bthibbion ya'ni mithl ibnik? And you love them like your own son?
Ooooh mithl awwali. Ooooh, like my own.
Bthibbion ktir. You love them a lot.
Ooooh. Ooooh.
Mlihin ma'ik? Are they good to you?
E wallah, alhamdulillah. Yes by God, praise be to God.
Wahid hon, esh ismo hay? Li vir rûdinê, Abu Khalid. One is here, what is his name? He sits here, Abu Khalid.
Abu Khalid. Abu Khalid.
Digo ya Zarîfa, tu heçî zekî, te ji vana re rind kir. He said, oh Zarifa, you are so smart, you did good to them.
Shu 'am tqul? What is she saying?
'Am tqul Abu Khalid hon jaron, biqul wallah hadol sawaytion minnik ahsan min wahid min wlado. She's saying Abu Khalid here, their neighbor, says by God you raised these better than one of his own kids.
Ya'ni wlad el-durra sawaytion ahsan min wlado. Meaning, you raised the co-wife's kids better than his own kids.
Aaa ya'ni hannuniyye 'aleha. Ah, meaning she is affectionate towards them.
E oooooh e... Yes, ooooh, yes...
Hallaq ana hasab ma fhimt ya hajje Zarifa, bi-anno inti kinti daye. Now, as I understood, Hajje Zarifa, you were a midwife.
Walladti mu'zam niswan hal-day'a. You delivered most of the women in this village.
E ma ba'rif wallah... ktir... ma ba'rif. Well I don't know by God... a lot... I don't know.
Min zaman? A long time ago?
Min zaman, laka shlon. A long time ago, of course.
Ma kan fi mashafi? Were there no hospitals?
Çi bêjim? Mashafi hebûn vî wextî... ktir qlil. What should I say? Hospitals existed at that time... very few.
Ma fi. There weren't.
Qlil. Few.
'An fi wahid ma fi qlil, kan yakhdu n-niswan 'a Halab mo hek? Meaning there was one or very few, they used to take women to Aleppo, right?
E Halab. Yes, Aleppo.
Hatta 'a Halab. Even to Aleppo.
E Halab. Yes, Aleppo.
Allahumma salli 'ala n-Nabi, kinti takhdi shi masari? Prayers be upon the Prophet, did you use to take any money?
Min wen? From where?
Min el-bitwallidion. From the ones you delivered.
Ana? La... lillah. Lillah la... ana ma brid masari. Me? No... for God. For God, no... I don't want money.
Ma sha' Allah 'aliki. Ma sha' Allah 'aliki. Mashallah to you. Mashallah to you.
Wallah el-'azim ana ma brid masari. By Almighty God, I don't want money.
Alhamdulillah. Praise be to God.
Hki li hal-bet shad 'umro? Tell me, how old is this house?
Shad 'umr hal-bet? How old is this house?
Heftê sal e, heftê sal hey e. It's seventy years old, seventy years it is.
Heftê sal hey e, sab'in. Seventy years it is, seventy.
Ya'ni mo ktir mo ktir sab'in e. Meaning not much, not much, it's seventy.
Inti btitdhakkari lamma 'ammartu? Do you remember when you built it?
Inti kinti mawjude hon lamma 'ammar zawjik? Were you present here when your husband built it?
La, ana jit la-hon huwwe bidd 'ammro, ana w jawzi 'ammarna. No, I came here and he wanted to build it, my husband and I built it.
W hay esh-shajara shad 'umra? And this tree, how old is it?
Ana msawi. Ana msawi, waqt el-khay-... khalas msawi has- shajara. I planted it. I planted it, when the... finished planting this tree.
Khallas el-hosh w zara' esh-shajara. He finished the courtyard and planted the tree.
Allah, Allah. Hay de tute hay? Oh God, oh God. Is this a mulberry tree?
E tute. Yes, a mulberry.
Hallaq lissa bitwallidi niswan walla battalti? Do you still deliver women now or did you stop?
Ana? Me?
E. Yes.
La ana battalt, ana ma bahsin. No, I stopped, I can't.
Kam wahid walladti hon? How many did you deliver here?
Kam shabb wilid hon, kam sabiyye wilid w 'a-idik bil-day'a? How many boys were born here, how many girls were born by your hands in the village?
Çiqas? Gund tev de... valla nizam... kullon, kullon. How many? All the village... by God I don't know... all of them, all of them.
Kullon. Valla an... vija la-hon kullon qalu ya Zarifa imshi 'anna. All of them. By God I... they came here, all of them said oh Zarifa come with us.
Ahlan w sahlan ana broh ma'on. Welcome, I would go with them.
W trouhi barra ed-day'a kaman? 'A day'a tanye trouhi? And did you go outside the village too? Did you go to another village?
Valla na, mo ktir. Kafr Safra w Jinderes hek, ma fi. By God no, not much. Kafr Safra and Jinderes like that, there weren't.
Akhir su'al. Last question.
E. Yes.
Hki li 'an ahl ed-day'a hon. Hki li 'annon shlonon. Tell me about the people of the village here. Tell me how they are.
Wallah tayyibin. Mithl awwali, mithl hallaq. Wallah hallaq ahsan. By God they are good. Like the past, like now. By God, now is better.
La en-nas, en-nas shlonon en-nas? No, the people, how are the people?
Tev însan in, bê miletî vir tune... They are all human, there is no nationality difference here...
Hemi malê Hecî bî ne, gundî ne, em jî ademî ne... All are Haji's family, villagers, we are human too...
Kullon adamiye w... All are good people and...
Arê, am jî ademî ne, em wisa wek hevdû ne... Yes, we are human too, we are like each other...
Ahl ed-day'a. The village people.
Kullon ma' ba'don. Bihibbu ba'don. All are together. They love each other.
E wallah. Alhamdulillah. Yes by God. Praise be to God.
Alhamdulillah. Praise be to God.
Allah yu'tik el-'afiye. May God give you health.
Fi aman illah. Fi aman illah. In God's safety. In God's safety.
Fi aman illah. La ilaha illa Allah. In God's safety. There is no god but God.
Allah yu'tik el-'afiye ya hajje, shukran ilik. May God give you health Hajje, thank you.
Xwedê te bihêle, saheta te xweş be. May God keep you, may you have good health.
Allah ysallmik. May God keep you safe.
'Al-barake. Blessings.
As-salamu 'alaykum. Peace be upon you.
Wa 'alaykum as-salam, ahlan w sahlan. And peace be upon you, welcome.
Allah yu'tikom el-'afiye. May God give you health.
Ya ahlan w sahlan fikon. Rûne rûne... Welcome to you. Sit, sit...
Nazzilu nazzilu 'ala mahlkon. Bring it down, bring it down slowly.
Ya Allah, hat la-nshuf. Oh God, let's see.
E, şixul kin... Yes, work...
Ya rabb. Oh Lord.
De daxin daxin. Go down, go down.
Tis'in... Ninety...
Ma sha' Allah, ma sha' Allah. Mashallah, mashallah.
Allah yu'tik el-'afiye. May God give you health.
Allah y'afik, ahlayn. May God give you health, welcome.
Shlonak? How are you?
Alhamdulillah. Praise be to God.
Hal-rizq ilak in sha' Allah? This livelihood is yours, God willing?
Er-rizq la-ibni, a'teto la-ibni ana b'awin ma'o. The livelihood is for my son, I gave it to my son, I help him.
Hadol 'ummal min Jinderes 'am bjibu, 'am nhawwesh nsharik akhuna... ahlan w sahlan. These are workers from Jinderes they bring, we harvest and share with our brother... welcome.
Hada esh-shabb ibnak? Is this young man your son?
E hada ibni, hada el-karm ilo, bas darwish ma'o 'ashr wlad... Yes this is my son, this orchard is his, but he is a simple man with ten kids...
Khallina nahki ma'o shway. Let us talk to him a bit.
Yalla de ahki. Go ahead and talk.
As-salamu 'alaykum. Peace be upon you.
Wa 'alaykum as-salam. And peace be upon you.
Allah yu'tik el-'afiye. May God give you health.
Allah y'afik. May God give you health.
Shlonak? How are you?
Alhamdulillah. Praise be to God.
Shlon es-sene el-hamel? How is the yield this year?
Wallah el-hamel kwayyes, bas biddo matar. By God the yield is good, but it needs rain.
Matar l-yusir akwas kaman, nizil matar bas qabl ma yinzal matar nihna saqenao arba' marrat. Rain to become better too, it rained but before it rained we watered it four times.
W hafarnao dert marrat... w hallaq sar ed-dunya kharif w tab'an Tishrin Thani. And we dug it four times... and now it's autumn and of course November.
Sar ya'ni lawno tghayyar. Meaning its color changed.
Ya'ni hallaq intu el-yom 'am tqul saqetou arba' marrat. Meaning now today you say you watered it four times.
Ewa. Yes.
W kam marra hafar? And how many times dug?
Hay hafartayn w baynaton saqaytu arba' marrat. It's two diggings and in between I watered it four times.
Ma sha' Allah, jeri ya'ni saqeto. Mashallah, running water you used.
E jeri. Yes, running water.
Shlon es-sene el-qit'a, ya'ni esh-shajara shad 'am tahmil shwalat? How is the harvest this year, I mean how many sacks is a tree bearing?
Wallah hasab. El-ba'd w el-qarib. By God it depends. The far and the near.
El-qarib min ba'do ma bitahammal, ma byiswa. The ones close to each other don't bear well, it's not good.
Bas elli sar hek faraz khalaq... ba'd min ba'd, byisir habbato kwayyes. But the ones that are spaced out... far from each other, their olives become good.
W tab'an matar biddo Allah yarzuqna. And of course it needs rain, may God provide for us.
Asartu shi? Did you press any?
Wallah asarna la-abuy, w asarna lo... khallas elo. By God we pressed for my father, and we pressed for him... finished for him.
W hada tamm eli w 'ammali nhawwesh. And this remained for me and we are harvesting.
Shlon es-sene el-mawsim, shlon el-'asr, in sha' Allah kwayyes? How is the season this year, how is the pressing, God willing it's good?
Wallah el-'asr shwal tanake... 90 kilo... 100... byitla' miyye, 150... By God the pressing, a sack is a tin... 90 kilos... 100... yields 100, 150...
Ya'ni shad 'al 15, el-15 kilo zaytun byitla' kilo zet? Meaning how much per 15, does 15 kilos of olives yield a kilo of oil?
E wallah. Ana ba'rif minshan hadol, el-zeiti akwas min hadol. Yes by God. I know for these, the Zeiti variety is better than these.
Hadol byitla' tanake, tanake w zghayyar. These yield a tin, a tin and a little.
Ya'ni hawali 20 kilo, 16, 17 kilo el-shwal 'am byitla'. Meaning about 20 kilos, 16, 17 kilos the sack is yielding.
Ya rabb, Allah yitrah el-barake. Oh Lord, may God bring blessings.
Biddi shuf honik shlon 'am biyashtaghlu. I want to see over there how they are working.
Yalla. Let's go.
Allah yu'tikom el-'afiye ya shabab. May God give you health, guys.
Allah y'afik. May God give you health.
Esh hada ez-zaytun el-'am thizzu hon 'am thawwshu? What is this olive you are shaking here and harvesting?
Ahlan w sahlan hajji. Welcome, Hajji.
Shlonak? How are you?
Enta kint 'am tqabbil honik kaman? Were you filming over there too?
El-hamdu lillah. Praise be to God.
Hay el-siba esh esmo el-'idde hay? 'Iddat esh-shughl hay? This ladder, what is the name of this tool? Is it a work tool?
E na'am. Yes.
Esh naw'o hada? What type is this?
Hada Khalkhali. This is Khalkhali.
Khalkhali. Khalkhali.
Khalkhali, byiqululo. Khalkhali, they call it.
Khalkhali. Hada lal-zet kwayyes? Khalkhali. Is this good for oil?
Hada nisbat el-zet fi... shlon baqillak... The oil percentage in this... how can I tell you...
Zet ez-zaytun el-asli gheir hada. The original olive oil is different from this.
Esh ez-zaytun el-asli? What is the original olive?
El-zaytun el-asli zeiti... The original olive is Zeiti...
Kam sa'a btishtaghlu bil-nahar? How many hours do you work a day?
Wallah min es-sab'a taqriban las-sa'a arba'a w nuss. By God from seven approximately to four thirty.
Ma sha' Allah, Allah yuqawwikom, Allah yzidkom bil-'afiye. Mashallah, may God give you strength, may God increase your health.
Shad sarlakom tal'in bil-shughl? How long have you been out working?
Sarlana shi khamsta'sh yom. It's been about fifteen days.
In sha' Allah lissa fi 'ankom shahr? Hopefully you still have a month?
Wallah el-hamdu lillah lissa fi 'anna shi khams sitt iyyam. By God, praise be to God, we still have about five or six days.
Yalla Allah yuqawwikom, Allah yarzuqkom ya rabb. Come on, may God give you strength, may God provide for you, Lord.
Allah ysalmak. May God keep you safe.
السلام عليكم. Peace be upon you.
وعليكم السلام ورحمة الله، يا أهلاً وسهلاً، أهلاً وسهلاً. And peace be upon you and the mercy of God. Welcome, welcome.
شلونك؟ يعطيك العافية. How are you? May God give you health.
حضرتك من حمص، مهجر لهون؟ You are from Homs, displaced here?
نعم، ١٠٠ أهلاً. Yes, a hundred welcomes.
وجاية لعندك شوي. And I've come to visit you for a bit.
١٠٠ أهلاً، تفضل، تفضل، تفضل. A hundred welcomes. Please, come in, come in, come in.
يا رب. ما شاء الله شي حلو، شرفني لفوق. Oh Lord. Mashallah, this is beautiful. Please lead the way up.
تفضل. Please come in.
ما شاء الله، كتير حلو هالبيت. Mashallah, this house is very beautiful.
يا مية أهلاً وسهلاً، يا مية أهلاً وسهلاً. A hundred welcomes, a hundred welcomes.
حياك الله، سلمنا على بعض؟ May God greet you. Shall we shake hands?
مية أهلاً وسهلاً، شرفونا. A hundred welcomes, you honor us.
بيت كتير حلو، قديم. It's a very beautiful, old house.
ما شاء الله، مية أهلاً وسهلاً، تفضلوا. Mashallah, a hundred welcomes. Please come in.
تفضل، خلينا نحكي. Go ahead, let's talk.
هلق هادا البيت إنت اشتغلت فيه هيك، حولته هيك لهالخضار والجمال فيه؟ شرف. Now, this house, you worked on it like this? You transformed it into this greenery and beauty? Please.
طبعاً، طبعاً هي الورد والزريعة كلها هي أنا جبتها. Of course. Of course, all these roses and plants, I brought them.
يعني إنت بالأصل عندك اهتمام بالورد والزراعة؟ So you originally have an interest in roses and agriculture?
أنا موظف كنت بمديرية الزراعة. I used to be an employee at the Directorate of Agriculture.
وين؟ Where?
بحمص. In Homs.
يا أهلاً وسهلاً. Welcome.
احكيلي تجربة نزوحك لهون، يعني تهجيرك لهون إيش أعطتك، إيش أضافتلك؟ السكن مع أهل الضيعة هون احكيلي عنهم أيضاً كمان. May God greet you.
احكيلي تجربة نزوحك لهون، يعني تهجيرك لهون إيش أعطتك، إيش أضافتلك؟ السكن مع أهل الضيعة هون احكيلي عنهم أيضاً كمان. Tell me about your displacement experience here. I mean, what did being displaced here give you? What did it add to you? Living with the village people here, tell me about them too.
هلق الحمد لله رب العالمين نحنا هون بالضيعة كانو أهل الضيعة كتير مناح يعني بالنسبة للمعاملة، للاحتواء... Well, praise be to God, Lord of the Worlds, the people of the village here were very good in terms of treatment, of embracing us...
للخدمات اللي قدموها للناس اللي طلعوا. ...and the services they provided to the people who left.
أكيد كل الناس بتعرف إنه المهجرين قسراً من حمص والغوطة وقتها طلعنا سوا لأنه كان في تزامن بالطلعة... Everyone surely knows that those forcibly displaced from Homs and Ghouta, we left together because the departures were synchronized...
فأغلب الناس طلعت بدون شي، يعني كان ما معاهم شي. ...so most people left with nothing. I mean, they had nothing with them.
وبالتالي الناس قدموا كل شي؟ And so the people offered everything?
نعم، أهل القرية ساعدوا كتير الشباب اللي نزحوا لهون عالقرية. Yes, the villagers helped the young men who were displaced here to the village a lot.
كتير قدمولهم، يعني مثلاً أول ما إجوا مثلاً شو كان لازمهم؟ بطانيات، فرشات، مي، كذا. They offered them a lot. I mean, for example, when they first arrived, what did they need? Blankets, mattresses, water, things like that.
طيب خليني أسألك سؤال يعني... Okay, let me ask you a question, I mean...
مباشر وواضح. Direct and clear.
إيش هو الشي اللي تعلمته من أهل هالضيعة؟ أنا سألتك سؤال تحكيلي عنهم، يعني عن طبيعتهم... What did you learn from the people of this village? I asked you to tell me about them, I mean, about their nature...
عن تكوينهم تفكيرهم. إيش هو الشي، العادات والقيم اللي أخدتها منهم بصراحة؟ about their makeup, their thinking. What are the habits and values you honestly took from them?
أهل القرية كتير بسيطين، أهل القرية كتير بسيطين. The village people are very simple. The village people are very simple.
يعني هلق في، نحن أول ما نزحنا كانو مثلاً يحكوا إنه مثلاً عن أهل المنطقة إنه في عنصرية، في كذا. I mean, when we first got displaced, they used to say, for example, about the people of the region, that there's racism, there's this and that.
طبعاً بيلتقى مواقف بس ولكن مواقف فردية بتكون، مواقف فردية. Of course, you encounter some situations, but they are individual situations. Individual situations.
أغلب أهل الضيعة عندهم بساطة، يعني مثلاً بموسم الزيتون، هلق موسم الزيتون بتعرف يعني. Most of the village people have simplicity. I mean, for example, during the olive season—now it's the olive season, you know.
فبموسم الزيتون، مثلاً كل واحد من جيرانك بيبعتلك سطل زيتون، لما بيعصر بيبعتلك قنينة زيت. During the olive season, for example, each of your neighbors sends you a bucket of olives. When they press them, they send you a bottle of oil.
بتحس في ألفة، في محبة عندهم. You feel there's familiarity, there's love among them.
في كرم بالطبيعة. There's an inherent generosity.
نعم في عندهم كرم نعم. Yes, they have generosity, yes.
نعم. آخر سؤال، باعتبارك حمصي، أعطيني آخر نكتة حمصية. Yes. Last question: since you are from Homs, give me the latest Homsi joke.
والله سبحان الله ما حاضرني هلق بس ولكن ممكن اتذكر شوي. Honestly, subhanallah, I don't have one in mind right now, but maybe I'll remember a little.
في واحد سألوا لواحد حمصي إنه إنتو بتعيدوا يوم الأربعاء؟ Someone asked a guy from Homs, "Do you guys celebrate Eid on Wednesday?"
قله والله البقية ما تركونا غيره نعيد فيه. He replied, "By God, the others didn't leave us any other day to celebrate on."
الله يعطيك العافية. فرصة سعيدة أستاذ غسان. May God give you health. Nice to meet you, Mr. Ghassan.
عفوًا، يجبر خاطرك يا رب، حياك الله. You're welcome, may God bless you. God greet you.
السلام عليكم. Peace be upon you.
كوران، وحدة من القرى القديمة في منطقة ريف جنديرس الشمالي. Kuran, one of the old villages in the northern rural area of Jindires.
لكن ما هي قديمة كتير، خاصة إذا ما أخدنا بالاعتبار أنه غربها تقع قرية كفر صفرة العريقة كتير بتاريخها. But it's not very old, especially if we consider that to its west lies the village of Kafr Safra, which is very ancient in its history.
المعروف عن تاريخ كوران يمكن ما بيتجاوز الـ 500 سنة. What is known about the history of Kuran is that it perhaps doesn't exceed 500 years.
لحتى نحكي عن تاريخ كوران رح نستضيف معنا العم محمد سيدو سليمان، واحد من أكبر الرجال المعمرين بهالقرية واللي مهتم بتاريخها. To talk about the history of Kuran, we will host Uncle Mohammad Sido Suleiman, one of the oldest men in this village and someone interested in its history.
يعطيك العافية عمي أبو سيدو. May God give you health, Uncle Abu Sido.
أهلين وسهلين. Welcome.
طمنا عنك، شلون صحتك؟ Reassure us about yourself, how is your health?
ألف الحمد لله. A thousand thanks to God.
جبناك من الأرض وإنت عم تهر الزيتون وجبناك. We brought you from the land while you were harvesting the olives, and we brought you.
إي هيك مسألة، فعلية. Yes, that's what happened, truly.
يلا الله يعطيك العافية. Alright, may God give you health.
الله يعافيك. May God give you health.
قبل شي هلق هادا منهل المي هادا هون عمو؟ Before anything, now this is the water source here, uncle?
هادا منهل المي بالستينات. This is the water source from the sixties.
بالستينات، يعني بالستينات بخمسينات كمان، سووا هالمي وهالخزان. In the sixties... I mean in the sixties, in the fifties too, they built this water and this tank.
وين كان خزان المي؟ Where was the water tank?
خزان المي كان فوق. The water tank was up there.
فوق. وكل أهل الضيعة تشرب منه؟ Up there. And all the village people drank from it?
كل أهل الضيعة، لا، في غربي الضيعة كمان كان في قسطل. All the village people... no, in the west of the village, there was also a pipe.
آه، بس ما كان في للبيوت، لكل بيت؟ Ah, but there wasn't one for the houses, for each house?
لا، لا، لا، لا، كانوا بيسحبوا منه، ما كان في للبيوت. No, no, no, no. They used to draw water from it, there wasn't any for the houses.
طيب خلينا نمشي شوي. Okay, let's walk a bit.
يلا. Let's go.
هلق هالضيعة شقد عمرها؟ Now, how old is this village?
هالضيعة فوق الـ 500 سنة. This village is over 500 years old.
شلون عرفنا إنه فوق الـ 500 سنة؟ How do we know it's over 500 years old?
من أجدادنا، نحن بنعرف، اللي بيحكوا، آباءنا واللي من أجدادنا عم يحكوا، حكينا على الآباء، يعني كم أب؟ حكينا سبعة. From our ancestors. We know, the ones who talk, our fathers and our ancestors are talking. We talked about the forefathers, I mean how many fathers? We said seven.
كم أب، احكيلي مين أب أصلي؟ How many fathers, tell me who is the original father?
أول شي بنقول له عيلتنا ديلي حسو. First of all, we call him, our family, Deli Hasso.
هي العشيرة، العيلة؟ Is this the tribe, the family?
عيلة، إي، عيلة يعني نحن كلياتنا عيلة ديلي حسو. A family, yes. A family, meaning we are all the Deli Hasso family.
بعد منه إجا منه ولاد، إيبو، بعد إيبو إجوا ثلاثة، بعدها سيدو... صاروا سبعة. After him came children, Ibo, after Ibo came three, then Sido... they became seven.
يعني من ديلي حسو لليوم سبع جدود؟ So from Deli Hasso until today, it's seven grandfathers?
سبع جدود. Seven grandfathers.
طيب ديلي حسو من وين إجا؟ Okay, where did Deli Hasso come from?
هالشغلة ما بعرف. I don't know about that.
ما بتعرف؟ You don't know?
ما بعرف، يعني هلق أنا بعرف هالعشيرة، ما وصلت عليه للأساس. I don't know. I mean, now I know this tribe, but I didn't reach back to its origin.
بس آباءنا كانوا عم يقولوا، خربة يعني أنا حكيت كان أول شي بيقعدوا لسا بخربة ديلي حسو بيقولوا. But our fathers used to say, a ruin—I mean I mentioned, at first they used to live in what is called the ruin of Deli Hasso.
وين صايرة؟ Where is that located?
بشرقي أشكان، هلق بإيد كفر صفرة. East of Ashkan, it's currently in the hands of Kafr Safra.
آه، يعني بيقولوا إنه ديلي حسو كان بخربة أشكان. Ah, so they say that Deli Hasso was in the ruin of Ashkan.
بخربة أشكان، بعدها راح غير خربة، وإجوا لهون. In the ruin of Ashkan, then he went to another ruin, and they came here.
أيوة، أول شي بعدين إجوا لهون. I see. First that, then they came here.
إجوا لهون صار مستقر لسا إله أساس هنيك، يعني المترح اللي قاعدين فيه. They came here and became settled. He still has roots there, I mean the place where they were sitting.
تمام، إذن معناها خلينا نقول أصلكم باعتبار ديلي حسو هو أصل سكان الضيعة كلها... Alright, so that means let's say your origin, considering Deli Hasso is the origin of all the village's inhabitants...
كلها، أبداً. All of them, absolutely.
فأصلكم من خربة أشكان. So your origin is from the ruin of Ashkan.
إي اللي صايرة هلق مع كفر صفرة، بكفر صفرة، عم يقولوا أولي كان هنيك. Yes, which is now part of Kafr Safra, in Kafr Safra. They say at first he was there.
وبعدين بعدين دوار، إجا رك... And then, then a wanderer, he came and settled...
كان معازة؟ Was he a goat herder?
عم يقولوا كان، يعني كل العالم، أنا لحقت عمري فوق التمانين، أنا لحقت كل هدول، كل بيت كان عنده معز. They say he was. I mean everyone, I have reached over eighty years of age, I lived through all of these, every house had goats.
آه، كل أهل الضيعة كان عندهم معز؟ Ah, all the village people had goats?
كلهم، غنم ومعز وشغلات. All of them, sheep and goats and things.
ولما إجوا لهون، إجوا لهون سكنوا في المغر ولا سكنوا وين؟ And when they came here, they came here and lived in caves or where did they live?
لا، عمروا، عمروا، بس المغر إله قيمة، أنا ما حكيتلك؟ No, they built houses, they built houses. But the caves had value, didn't I tell you?
كان في مغر؟ There were caves?
كان في مغر، كان في مغر قديم، هدول ما حفروا قديم، قديم. There were caves, there were old caves. They didn't dig old ones, old.
وكان مثل هون مثل خرب، إجوا قعدوا فيه وصار كوران، صار ضيعة. And it was like here, like ruins. They came and stayed in them and it became Kuran, it became a village.
كان في مثل خراب هون عم تقول؟ There was like ruins here you're saying?
إي يعني هالمغر، هالمغر مين حفرها؟ Yes, I mean these caves, these caves, who dug them?
مين حفرها؟ هني. هني حفروا؟ Who dug them? They did. They dug them?
هني حفروا. They dug them.
هلق إنت حكيتلي إنه المغر كان إلها قيمة كبيرة؟ Now you told me that the caves had great value?
كبيرة. Great.
شلون؟ أعطيني مثال. How? Give me an example.
المغر لأنه مثل سكن، كل الدواب، العائلات كانوا عم يقعدوا بالمغر لأنه في زمان الفقر يعني، زمان الفقر كان. The caves, because they were like dwellings. All the animals, the families used to sit in the caves because it was a time of poverty, I mean. It was a time of poverty.
بيسكنوا المغارة قسمين، للبشر وللدواب؟ They inhabit the cave in two sections, for humans and for animals?
إي إي إي، عم يقعدوا، وأنا لحقت، أنا لحقت. Yes, yes, yes, they stayed there, and I lived through that, I lived through that.
حكيتلي عن مثال بأنه إجا حدا بده يشتري مغارة، عم يتمنوها شلون؟ احكيلي. You told me an example that someone came wanting to buy a cave, how did they price it? Tell me.
إي، أبوي، أبوي كان عم يقول في مغر، هالبيت هادا مغايرهم عند السياراة، عند السيارات، هالمغاير كان... Yes, my father, my father was saying there are caves. This house, their caves by the cars, by the cars. These caves were...
بده يشتروا، زمان الفقر، أبوي... They wanted to buy, the time of poverty, my father...
بيت مين هدول؟ Whose house are these?
بيت كودة. The house of Kodeh.
كودة إيوا. Kodeh, I see.
بده يشتروا المغر، إي أبوي راح لعند مين، واحد من عزاز، جابوا جماعة كبار بالجبل، رايح لعنده... They wanted to buy the caves. My father went to someone, a person from Azaz, they brought important people from the mountain. He went to him...
قال يا عمو بس فاصلنا هدول بده يشتروا مغارة، قال المغارة لبين ما تنشرى بتسوى ملاتها غنم. He said, "Uncle, just arbitrate for us, these people want to buy a cave." He said, "The cave, to be bought, is worth its fill in sheep."
المغارة بتسوى سعرها ملاتها غنم؟ The cave's price is worth its fill in sheep?
ملاتها غنم. Its fill in sheep.
بهداك الوقت. At that time.
وبالتالي كانت هي عبارة عن السكن الأساسي؟ At that time.
وبالتالي كانت هي عبارة عن السكن الأساسي؟ And therefore it was basically the main dwelling?
إي. Yes.
نعم. بهداك الوقت كان في معز؟ Yes. At that time, were there goats?
لكا، لكا، لكا، معز. Of course, of course, of course, goats.
معز مو غنم؟ Goats, not sheep?
لا خيو، معيشة العالم أكترية بالمعز وبالغنم وب... No brother, people's livelihood was mostly from goats and sheep and...
ليش معز؟ ليش معز؟ هون مو كان في زيتون؟ Why goats? Why goats? Weren't there olives here?
لا، أولي ما كان هيك زيتون. No, at first there weren't olives like this.
لكا، من الضيعة وفوق أبداً مدشرة للحشاشين اللي بيرعوا ما في، ما في زيتون. Then what?
لكا، من الضيعة وفوق أبداً مدشرة للحشاشين اللي بيرعوا ما في، ما في زيتون. Then what, from the village upwards it was completely abandoned to the grass foragers who herd. There wasn't, there weren't olives.
كان أحراش هون؟ It was brushwood here?
كله أحراش، وبعدها صار فتحوا، كل مين هادا أرضه وفتحوا صار زيتون يعني. All of it was brushwood, and then they opened it up. Everyone got their land and they opened it up and it became olive groves, I mean.
طيب، طيب هلق أنا صارت الصورة واضحة، أحراش ومعز وجبل. كان في مي؟ المي من وين؟ Okay, okay now the picture has become clear to me. Brushwood, goats, and a mountain. Was there water? Where was the water from?
مي، مي ما في مي عنا. Water, water, we have no water.
لكا؟ Then what?
في جب هنيك، أنا لحقت جب، شغل روم، عم يقولوا شغل رومانيا. There's a well over there, I lived to see a well, Roman made, they say it's Roman work.
كم متر، والله ما بعرف، يعني بخلص مي، مية جمع، عم يهجموا على هداك، كل الحيوان عم يروحوا بيشربوا من هنيك. How many meters? By God, I don't know. I mean, the water runs out, gathered water. They rush to that one, all the animals go and drink from there.
يعني كانت الناس تشرب من مية النهر عفواً البير الروماني؟ So people used to drink from the water of the river—excuse me, the Roman well?
إي، مشرب بئر روماني، اللي عنده صهاريج جمع بالشتا بيذخر فيه بيشرب منه. Yes, they drank from a Roman well. Whoever has cisterns for collection in winter, stores it in them and drinks from it.
نعم، نعم. هلق عددلي العوائل تبع الضيعة هون عمو حالياً. Yes, yes. Now list for me the families of the village here, uncle, currently.
العوائل تبع الضيعة؟ The families of the village?
خيو... Brother...
نحن نقول عيلة بيت سليمان. We say the family of Beit Suleiman.
في بيت خُرشيد، في بيت شاويش، في بيت شاويش... There is Beit Khurshid, there is Beit Shawish, there is Beit Shawish...
وفي بيت كودة هدول مو من الضيعة أساساً... And there is Beit Kodeh, these are not originally from the village...
في بيت قدرو، في بيت، عيلة بيت حسين رجو هدول، هدول ولاد عم كمان. There is Beit Qadro, there is Beit, the family of Beit Hussein Rajjo, these, these are cousins as well.
هلق هدول كلهم أكراد؟ Now, are all of these Kurds?
كله كله. All of them, all of them.
أصلهم كردي. Their origin is Kurdish.
كله كله. All of them, all of them.
هلق في بيت قدرو أو بيت صفو، هدول يقال إنه... Now there is Beit Qadro or Beit Saffo, it is said that these...
بيت صفو، مو أكراد. Beit Saffo, they are not Kurds.
أه بيت صفو؟ Ah, Beit Saffo?
وبيت كودة؟ These are not Kurds.
وبيت كودة؟ And Beit Kodeh?
هذول نفس الشيء، كله. These are the same thing, all of them.
صفو وبيت كودة؟ Saffo and Beit Kodeh?
منين هذول؟ Saffo and Beit Kodeh.
منين هذول؟ Where are these from?
هذول هذول... These, these...
بيقولوا نحنا أساسا من خان شيخون، هادا من بيت كودة. They say, "We are originally from Khan Shaykhun," this is from Beit Kodeh.
هدول بيقول أصلًا نحنا من خان شيخون، إجوا على إعزاز ومن إعزاز إجوا لهون معازة. These say, "Originally we are from Khan Shaykhun, they came to Azaz, and from Azaz they came here as goat herders."
معازة إي؟ Goat herders, yes?
اشتروا رزق، رزق تبع ولاد عمو، بيت قدرو. وسكنوا هون، وصاروا زناقين، واشتغلوا جماعة. They bought property, property belonging to the cousins, Beit Qadro. And they lived here, and they became wealthy, and they worked as a group.
اشتغلوا جماعة. They worked as a group.
إشتغلوا جماعة. They worked as a group.
الله يقويهم يا رب. May God give them strength, oh Lord.
كان بهداك الوقت، حالهم فوق، مرتاحة حالتهم. يعني، ورا المعز ورا الغنم ورا الشغلة. At that time, their condition was top-notch, their condition was comfortable. I mean, behind the goats, behind the sheep, behind the work.
نعم. هلق هادا البناء اللي أنا شايفة خلفي، هادا هادا هادا، إيشو هادا البيت؟ Yes. Now this building that I see behind me, this, this, this, what is this house?
هادا، لمن عمروا هون... This, when they built here...
هذا قبو، هذا عتيق، تعالوا تفرجوا. This is a cellar, this is old, come and take a look.
معلش من وين ندخل عمو؟ من هون من هون؟ Excuse me, where do we enter from, uncle? From here, from here?
لا لا هون هون، من هالباب، من هالباب من هالباب. No, no, here, here, from this door, from this door, from this door.
هذا عتيق. This is old.
هداك هداك، شفت هداك. That one, that one, I saw that one.
شفت هداك؟ مبني من فوق 150 سنة. You saw that one? It's been built up there for over 150 years.
150 سنة؟ 150 years?
إي فعلا هالقديم هاي قعدوا عمروا هون. Yes, really, this old one, they sat and built here.
هذا بيت عمي إجو من جديد عمروا هون. This is my uncle's house, they recently came and built here.
لمن عمروا هون، عمروا هالقبو، عمروا فوقه. When they built here, they built this cellar, and built on top of it.
وهذا شكل البناء أولي هيك؟ هيك كان شكل البناء؟ And was this the shape of the original building? Was this the shape of the building?
لا لا ما كان شكل البناء، شكل البناء هذا... هذا كان أحسن أحسن بناء اللي عمروه. No, no, it wasn't the shape of the building, the shape of the building... this, this was the absolute best building they built.
نحن بنقول له قنطرة، يعني على اثنين قنطرتين على اثنين، إي. We call it a Qantara (arch), meaning on two arches, two arches on two, yes.
خلينا نسلم على هالزلمه. Let's greet this man.
السلام عليكم، شرف عمو. Peace be upon you, come here uncle.
يا أهلا وسهلا. Welcome.
الله يعطيك العافية، هالبيت إلكن؟ May God give you health. Is this house yours?
إي نعم. Yes, it is.
ما شاء الله حلو كتير، معلش ندخل عليه شوي؟ Mashallah, it's very beautiful. Can we go inside for a bit?
تفضل. Please, go ahead.
شرف قدامنا، ما بصير ما بصير، شرف شرف عمو. Go ahead of us, it wouldn't be right [for me to go first], it wouldn't be right, go ahead, go ahead uncle.
شرف شرف، تعالوا نشوف هالبناية القديمة. Go ahead, go ahead. Let's see this old building.
السلام عليكم. Peace be upon you.
وعليكم السلام. And upon you be peace.
حلو هالبيت. This house is beautiful.
خلينا نسأل صاحبه قديش عمره؟ Let's ask its owner how old it is.
ابن عمي وأنا آخذه. He is my cousin, and I took it.
معلش إنت وياه. That's fine, you and him.
السلام عليكم، الله يعافيك. Peace be upon you. May God give you health.
حلو هالبيت قديش عمره؟ This house is beautiful, how old is it?
عمري؟ My age?
عمر البيت. The age of the house.
عمر البيت هداك لهلق... The age of the house, that one until now...
هون شرف. Come here.
القديمة ولا هداك؟ The old one or that one?
التنين التنين سوا، الباب قديم مبين حتى. Both of them, both of them together. Even the door looks old.
هداك عام 1935. That one is from 1935.
عام 1935؟ From 1935?
1935 نعم. 1935, yes.
هاي 1944. This one is 1944.
هاي 944. This is '944.
هاي شق القنطرة هداك شقه. This is the side of the arch, that is its side.
يلا بس لحظة عمو. Alright, just a moment, uncle.
هاي 68. This is '68.
68. '68.
62. '62.
هي 35. This is '35.
كله كان بهالبيت هي، بعدين عمروا هدوليك. Everything was in this house, then they built those.
كتير حلو. Very beautiful.
شفتها؟ Did you see it?
هذا هذا القديم هذا؟ This, this is the old one?
هذا القديم، إيوا هذا القديم. This is the old one. Yes, this is the old one.
هلق بس سؤال عمو، آخر شي بسألك سؤال. Now, just a question, uncle, one last thing, I'll ask you a question.
البيوت أولي كانت تتعمر بهالطريقة، قنطرة وما قنطرة. Yes.
البيوت أولي كانت تتعمر بهالطريقة، قنطرة وما قنطرة. Houses in the past were built in this way, an arch and so on.
سابقا يا أبو عبده... In the past, O Abu Abdo...
إي إي سابقا ما كان في حدا كتير العالم بيحسنوا بيعمروا هالعمارة هاي. In the past, not now.
إي إي سابقا ما كان في حدا كتير العالم بيحسنوا بيعمروا هالعمارة هاي. Yes, yes, in the past, not many people could afford to build this kind of building.
الفقير ما بيحسن بيعمره متل هالعمارة هاي، هذا كان مكلف، مو هيك؟ Why?
الفقير ما بيحسن بيعمره متل هالعمارة هاي، هذا كان مكلف، مو هيك؟ A poor person couldn't build something like this building, this was costly, right?
الله يعطيك العافية عمي أبو سيدو. May God give you health, my uncle Abu Sido.
أهلين. Welcome.
شكرا إلك، أخدنا فكرة كويسة عن تاريخ الضيعة وانبسطنا كتير معك. Thank you, we got a good idea about the history of the village, and we enjoyed our time with you very much.
يا أهلا وسهلا. You are very welcome.
الله يعطيكم العافية، السلام عليكم. May God give you health. Peace be upon you.
أهلين وسهلين. Welcome, welcome.
السلام عليكم. Peace be upon you.
وعليكم السلام. And upon you be peace.
مختار شلونك؟ Mukhtar (village head), how are you?
يا هلا الحمد لله. Welcome, praise be to God.
الله يعطيك العافية. May God give you health.
الله يعافيك يا هلا. May God give you health, welcome.
المعصرة إلك طبعا؟ The press is yours, of course?
على بركة إن شاء الله. Yes, it is.
على بركة إن شاء الله. With God's blessing, hopefully.
الله يبارك فيك أهلا. May God bless you, welcome.
احكي لي بداية قبل ما ندخل لجوا، شلون الموسم؟ Tell me first, before we go inside, how is the season?
الموسم وسط تحت الوسط يعني بشكل عام. The season is average, below average, I mean in general.
موسم الزيتون؟ The olive season?
طيب وموسم العصر، نسبة الزيت شلون؟ The olive season.
طيب وموسم العصر، نسبة الزيت شلون؟ Okay, and the pressing season, how is the oil yield?
موسم العصر نسبة الزيت عادي معروف، يعني كل عالم حسب الزيتون قطعية. The pressing season, the oil yield is normal, it's known, meaning everyone depends on their olive batch.
يعني مشكل حسب نوع الزيتون. I mean, it varies depending on the type of olives.
هلق السنة شقد تقريبا يعني متوسط العصر؟ Now, this year, approximately how much is the average pressing yield?
متوسط العصر بالنسبة للقطعية ولا للموسم؟ The average pressing yield regarding the batch or the season?
للقطعية. For the batch.
للقطعية في عندك 16 كيلو، في 25، في 22، حسب الزيتون وأصل الزيتون. For the batch, you have 16 kilos, there is 25, there is 22, depending on the olives and the origin of the olives.
16 كيلو زيت أو 25 أو 22 بـ 100 كيلو زيتون؟ 16 kilos of oil or 25 or 22 per 100 kilos of olives?
إيوه، كل 100 كيلو زيتون هادي نسبة حسب الزيتون يعني. Yes, every 100 kilos of olives, this is the ratio depending on the olives, I mean.
طيب والعام الماضي واللي قبله كيف كان؟ Okay, and what about last year and the year before?
هذا معروف على طبيعة الزيتون، معروف حسب الحمل حسب النوعية وحسب طبيعة الأرض. This is known based on the nature of the olives, it's known depending on the yield, the quality, and the nature of the land.
هلق في بالجبل 100 شجرة بيجي منه خمس تنكات، بالسهل خمس شجرات عم يجي منه خمس تنكات. Now, in the mountains, 100 trees might yield five tins; in the plains, five trees might yield five tins.
يعني معدل الزيت هو نفسه؟ So the average oil yield is the same?
معدل الزيت نفسه. The average oil yield is the same.
بس معدل موسم الزيتون أقل. But the average olive crop is less.
إي موسم الزيتون حمل السنة بيختلف شوي. Yes, the olive crop yield this year is a bit different.
طيب خلينا ندخل لجوا. Alright, let's go inside.
تفضل. Please, go ahead.
شرف. Go ahead.
هلق ما شاء الله هذا معصور كله مو هيك؟ Now, mashallah, all of this has been pressed, right?
إي نعم. Yes, indeed.
ما شاء الله، الله هيك يرزق العالم يا رب. Mashallah, may God provide for the people like this, O Lord.
ألف هنا على أصحابينه. A thousand blessings to its owners.
آمين آمين، شقد صار له الموسم باديان؟ Amen, amen. How long has the season been going on?
موسم باديان بـ 10 تشرين الأول، 10 تشرين الأول. The season started on October 10th, October 10th.
صار له شي 20 يوم 22 يوم؟ It's been about 20 days, 22 days?
إيوه 22 يوم. Yes, 22 days.
شقد ضل بيخلص الموسم؟ How much longer until the season ends?
تقريبا بنهايته، قرب الناس تخلص. It's almost at its end, people are close to finishing.
هلق نحن هون إيش شو هيدي هون؟ Now, what are we looking at here?
هذا دلو. This is a hopper.
هلق هذا الزيتون عم يطلع من هون؟ Now this olive is coming up from here?
إي متل عم نقول سحاب عم ياخد. Yes, like we say, a conveyor is taking it.
هلق هذا عياره. Now this is its gauge.
هذا عياره. This is its gauge.
تمام تمام، واضح مبين علينا. Okay, okay, it's clear, we can see it.
هون الوراقة، تطلع عم طالع الورق منه، هيديك قشاطة الورق لبرا. Here is the leaf remover, look, it's taking the leaves out of it, that leaf sweeper throws them outside.
هون الغسالة عم يغسل. Here is the washer, it washes.
هون بيجي دلو عم يسحب عالكسارة. Here comes a bucket pulling it to the crusher.
عم يطحن، هون بيطحن حجر طحن. It grinds, here it grinds, grinding stones.
هون السحاب بياخده عالخط، هون العجانات. Yes, here it grinds.
هون السحاب بياخده عالخط، هون العجانات. Here the conveyor takes it to the line, here are the mixers.
هون في حرارة، تطلع عالحرارة، حرارة دائما شي 40. Here there is heat, look at the heat, the heat is always around 40.
هون العجانات، هي ذمة. Here are the mixers, this is a batch.
هون عجانة؟ Is this a mixer here?
إي عجانات هدول. Yes, these are mixers.
هي العجانة ذمة، هدول ذمة. This mixer is a batch, these are a batch.
هون كل شغلة ذمة؟ Everything here is a batch?
كله أربع ذمم، أربع خزانات، كل خزان شي 600 كيلو بيساع. All of it is four batches, four tanks, each tank holds about 600 kilos.
عم يدور بيطري بحرارة مشان بيجهز للفرز للفرز. It rotates, softens with heat to prepare it for separation, for separation.
خلينا نشوف الفرز. Let's see the separation.
السلام عليكم. Peace be upon you.
هون العجانة لما بتفضى، هون اللوحة الكهربائية هيدي لحالها. Here, when the mixer empties... here is the electrical panel, this is separate.
هون العجانة، هون الطرد المركزي. Here is the mixer, here is the centrifuge.
هو بيفرز المي والزيت والبيرين عن بعضه حسب الكثافة. It separates the water, oil, and pomace from each other according to density.
الطرد المركزي بيطلع مي لحال والزيت لحال والبيرين لحال. The centrifuge pushes water alone, oil alone, and pomace alone.
بعدين بيروح عالفرز النهائي عالفرازات. Then it goes to the final separation, to the separators.
شقد عمرها هالمعصرة؟ How old is this press?
من 2006 ركبناه. We installed it in 2006.
2006؟ 2006?
إي جددناه، هداك كان استيراد على الكبس. Yes, we renewed it, that old one was imported, running on a pressing system.
يعني أقدم شي إيمت كانت؟ So when was the oldest one from?
أقدم شي بالنسبة للـ... هالأقدم شي بالستينات هدول كان كباسات. The oldest thing regarding the... the oldest thing was in the sixties, those were presses.
بالستينات كانت؟ It was in the sixties?
خلينا نشوف الزيت. Yes, it was in the sixties.
خلينا نشوف الزيت. Let's see the oil.
هذا الزيت، هداك فرازة المي، شوف الزيت بيديكنتر هذا السلندر عم يعطي زيت لحال والمي لحال والبيرين عم يروح لحال. This is the oil, that is the water separator. See the oil in the decanter, this cylinder is giving oil alone and water alone, and the pomace goes alone.
إيش شو ميزة الزيت في كوران؟ What is the defining characteristic of the oil in Koran?
ميزة الزيتون، زيتون كوران، منطقة جنديرس كلها طبعا، في جبلي وفي سهل. The characteristic of the olives, the olives of Koran, the whole Jindires area of course... there is mountain and there is plain.
زيت الجبلي غير زيت السهل، زيت الجبلي لونه بيطلع هيك على بياض. Mountain oil is different from plain oil, mountain oil's color comes out kind of whitish.
يعني جبلي وحسب التربة حسب نوع الصخر. Meaning, mountain, and depending on the soil, depending on the type of rock.
يعني في كوران من الجبل إذا تربته الصخر هش، حوارية، لونه بيعطيه هيك على أبيض لونه طيب أطيب شي يعني. I mean, in Koran from the mountain, if its soil has brittle rock, chalky, its color comes out kind of white, a good color, the best thing, I mean.
هذا هو؟ Is this it?
إي هذا، لا هذا على خضار، إجو من السهل. Yes, this... no, this has a greenish tint, it came from the plain.
شقد عم تنباع تنكة الزيت؟ How much is a tin of oil selling for?
تنكة الزيت حدود أحسن شي أحسن شي 38 دولار. A tin of oil is around, the very best, the very best is 38 dollars.
يعني هلق حاليا بورصة هي الأسعار، بجوز بكرة ينزل أو يطلع. I mean, right now it's a stock market, these prices might drop or rise tomorrow.
الله يعطيكم العافية ويرزقكم. May God give you health and provide for you.
يا هلا أهلا وسهلا فيك. Welcome, you are very welcome.
شكرا لك يا مختار، أهلا وسهلا. Thank you, Mukhtar, welcome.
أعزائي المشاهدين، انتهت هذه الحلقة من برنامج جولات. Dear viewers, this episode of the "Tours" program has ended.
والتي قدمناها لكم من قرية كوران في ريف جنديرس الشمالي. Which we presented to you from the village of Koran in the northern countryside of Jindires.
سنكون معكم في الأسبوع القادم في حلقة جديدة من منطقة سورية أخرى حبيبة. We will be with you next week in a new episode from another beloved Syrian region.
السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته. Peace, mercy, and blessings of God be upon you.