Syrian mosaic artist revives family craft after returning home

DAMASCUS

Basil Barini’s mosaic works have been drawing widespread attention.

The Barini family, who fled Syria’s war and sought refuge in Türkiye, are rebuilding their mosaic and natural stone art business in their homeland after years in exile, determined to preserve the craft and pass it on to future generations.

Muhammed Barini, an 85-year-old mosaic master with 50 years of experience, was forced to leave four factories behind when the war broke out and his family sought refuge in Türkiye.

The family resumed its work in Mardin, producing natural stone mosaics that reached customers across Türkiye and in several countries, including the United States.

After the fall of the Syrian regime, the Barinis returned home, only to find that all four factories they had built over five decades had been completely destroyed by bombardment.

Undeterred by the devastation, the family established a new, medium-sized workshop and began producing dozens of mosaic panels, seeking to overcome the scars of war through art.

The family members thanked the Turkish people and government for their hospitality and support, saying they had enjoyed a good life in Türkiye and completed important projects during their years there.

Barini, who has worked with domestic and foreign marble to create hundreds of pieces, said he had spent many years working in Türkiye and the United States.

After the changes in Syria, he decided to return home, believing that the craft should be revived in the land where it originated.

“We must return to our homeland. This profession and craft must come back to our land,” he said.
Barini said nothing remained of their former workshops when he returned to Syria. He has since resumed production in a rented space in the Ayn Tarma Valley.

“Everything here had been destroyed, and we had nothing left. Now we have started working again in our new workshop and repairing it. We will make our workshop better than before,” he said.

Comparing working conditions when he entered the profession 50 years ago with those of today, Barini said production had become much faster thanks to modern technologies.

“In the early years, we did everything by hand with limited resources. Today, adhesives, modern grinding systems and waterjet technology have made the production process much faster,” he said.

Describing his passion for the craft, Barini said: “I feel happy when I touch marble.”

He added that he felt unwell when he was away from his work and would continue producing art for as long as his strength allowed.

“I am very happy when I work. When I am away from my work, I cannot feel that happiness. When I do not work, I feel ill. Thanks be to God, I will continue my profession as long as I have the strength and can breathe,” he said.

‘Syria never left us’

Basil Barini, who began learning marble and mosaic art alongside his father in Damascus at the age of 10, said his family never abandoned its determination to preserve the craft despite the destruction caused by the war.

Having grown up in a profession with deep roots in Syria, Basil was also forced to leave the country after the conflict began. His family sought refuge in Türkiye, while he spent some time in Russia before reuniting with his relatives in Türkiye.

During their years in Türkiye, the family completed major domestic and international projects. Basil said they worked on a hippodrome project in Izmir and produced artworks for major U.S. and Canadian companies operating in Türkiye.

They also created custom designs tailored to Turkish tastes. Basil learned Turkish and became familiar with the country’s culture, producing numerous mosaic portraits, including those of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, which attracted considerable attention.

Reflecting on the family’s return, Basil said their hope of going home had never faded despite the hardships of war.

“The war forced us to leave our homes, but Syria never left us. It always remained in our hearts. No matter how much time passed, we dreamed of returning to our homeland. This is our country, and whatever happened, we were going to come back,” he said.

Basil said the family viewed mosaic art as more than a means of earning a living, using their works to convey social suffering and historical events to future generations.

Their panels have addressed a range of subjects, from Jerusalem and the Palestinian issue to the revolution in Syria, boats carrying migrants and the experiences of refugee children.

Basil thanked the Turkish people and government for the hospitality and support the family received during their years in Türkiye.

He said working alongside Turkish artisans had fostered close ties between the two communities.

“I am very happy to work alongside Turkish masters and to teach this art at the Damascus Museum. This profession has helped establish very beautiful and deep-rooted friendships between the Turkish and Syrian peoples,” he said.

Emphasizing the importance of passing mosaic art on to future generations, Basil said the family’s main goal was to help the craft flourish in both countries, create employment opportunities for young artisans and contribute to the economies of Türkiye and Syria.