Enab Baladi – Ras al-Ain

The residents of Ras al-Ain, northwest of al-Hasakah, are busy restoring their mud houses amid deteriorating economic conditions, which prevent them from building concrete homes or renovating them with modern materials.

Mud houses are a primary option for rural residents due to their low cost and ease of restoration, despite the challenges posed by heavy rains and winds, making regular restoration a necessity with the onset of each winter.

The residents living in mud houses consistently renovate their homes annually, starting the restoration process in early September and continuing until the end of November, but this year it extended until the end of December.

A forced choice, not a desired one

With tired features and clothes stained with mud, Hussain al-Ra’id (40 years old) is preparing the mud (or “jabla” as it is called locally) by soaking the earth in water for a full day after mixing it with straw, which helps in binding the mud together and prevents it from cracking after plastering.

Al-Ra’id told Enab Baladi that he does this work due to his limited financial capabilities, forcing him to restore his house, which consists of three rooms, as it suffers from water leaks every winter, necessitating constant restoration to maintain its integrity.

He mentioned that he is compelled to restore his house annually at the beginning of winter or before it; otherwise, the house will be at risk of collapsing due to heavy rain and severe cold.

From the early morning hours, Sanaa al-Mohammad (55 years old) and her four children begin working together to remove the dirt and debris from the damaged walls in preparation for restoring the house in Harobi village.

The lady told Enab Baladi that she feels exhausted from the annual restoration of the mud house, and if her financial situation improves, she will build a concrete house that provides comfort and safety for her and her family, and can better withstand harsh weather conditions.

According to the descriptions given by the residents to Enab Baladi, a mud house is distinguished by its ability to maintain warmth in winter and coolness in summer, making it suitable for both hot and cold climates, despite the difficulties in maintaining its quality and habitability.

A source of income

Many daily wage workers and skilled workers rely on selling mud bricks or restoring mud houses for the residents in exchange for wages, which constitutes a primary source of income for them.

Azzam al-Ahmad (36 years old) relies on selling mud bricks to residents at a price of 3,000 Syrian pounds each, in an annual job that he has been accustomed to during the last three months of each year.

He told Enab Baladi that this profession, despite its difficulties, is an essential part of his family’s identity, which has specialized in this industry since 1942 when his great-grandfather started in this field.

He added that the demand for mud houses has increased since 2016, noting that the price of a concrete block reaches 15,000 Syrian pounds, while the price of a mud brick is 3,000 pounds, making it a suitable option for many residents.

Brick prices are considered “acceptable” compared to daily labor wages, which amount to 80,000 Syrian pounds (6 US dollars).

The population of Ras al-Ain is approximately 115,000, primarily relying on one sector, which is agriculture, followed by livestock.

Ras al-Ain is located near the Turkish border and is controlled by the Syrian National Army (SNA), surrounded by fronts of conflict with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), with the Turkish border being its only outlet to the outside world.