In one of the neighborhoods of the Old City in Nablus to the north of the West Bank an old house dating 700 years ago stands maintaining its old Levant architecture despite neglect and lack of renovation.
Abu Hassan Joudallah inherited the house which is located at Al-Yasmeena neighborhood in the heart of the Old City of Nablus from his father. He notes that the family has been living in the house for the last 100 years after renting it from its owners who live outside Palestine in order to maintain and keep it alive.
Antique museum
In an attempt to maintain Palestinian heritage Abu Hassan turned one of the rooms into a small antique museum where he collects tools and dishes used in the old times in daily life and that is no longer used these days due to modernity and development of human life.
Those visiting the house of Abu Hassan Joudallah notice the presence of whatever crosses the mind of old items such as brass and old diesel-lanterns tools to press coffee and knives-sharpening tools in addition to samples of traditional Palestinian dresses (Thobes) and furniture and many other items.
Abu Hassan speaking to the PIC says that his favorite hobby is to collect antiques as he was born and grew up at a time these tools were commonly used and that he can’t imagine the house without having these tools.
Hobby and making living
Abu Hassan’s love and passion for heritage and maintaining it pushed him a few years back to volunteer with the committee in charge of renovating Al-Khadir historical mosque located at one of the entrances of the old city and during that time he displayed his talent in making antiques and making mosaic on gypsum and since then he has been developing his talent turning it into a source of making a living for him. He started building structures of old buildings using gypsum to sell it for decoration purposes.
Abu Hassan adds that the most wanted item by customers is the lantern of Nablus which was built during the Ottoman time and it is one of a number of lanterns built in the Levant area to mark 25 years of the rule of Sultan Abdul Hamid II in addition to the antiques of the structure of the Dome of the Rock.
In addition to the structures of these antiques Abu Hassan builds structures of the entrances of houses and mosques decorated by verses from the holy Quran.
Basma Ramadan Abu Hassan’s wife supports and helps him do his work and realize his wishes. She just like her husband is is in love with heritage and old items and loves to collect and maintain old items. In addition she learnt from her husband how to collect and maintain antiques and how to draw on gypsum.
