“We’ve been in the same place for 270 years. I’m the seventh. I’ve been running it for 45 years,” says Haj Imran.
In the heart of Tripoli’s old souk, one of the oldest markets in Lebanon, sits Haj Imran Imran—one of the most renowned makers of straw chairs and other handicrafts. A man in his sixties, he sits in the shade of his shop beside his brother, and together they work on weaving straw.
Haj Imran inherited this craft from his father and grandfathers, and he says: “This trade has reached every country in the world.”
He has participated in many exhibitions around the globe—from France to Dubai and Qatar—and still keeps his old accounting books and customer records.
Many years have passed, but the unstable economic and political conditions in Lebanon have taken a toll on his business. He says: “All we’re missing is security, that’s it… everything else can be replaced.”
Although each of his children has pursued their own career path, Haj Imran was determined to keep the craft in the family. He trained his wife, sons, and daughters in woodcutting and the art of taqshish.
He concludes: “Just like I’m the seventh one, my children will come after me… and my grandchildren too.”
