GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Zuheir Abdul Rahim Daana comes from a long line of Palestinian artisans who make leather clothes and household goods. Now in his 60s, Daana learned the trade from his father, Abdul Rahim, at the age of nine, in the same shop that carries the family name on Old Jerusalem’s Al-Wad Street.

When Daana was a child, his father used to tend the shop and his uncle Zakaria shipped the leather products — mainly shoes, bags and belts — to Jordan, Turkey and Syria. Daana’s grandfather, Wajdi Mohammad Jomaa Daana, started producing and selling leather products in the second half of the 19th century. The Palestinian artisan and tradesman used to send the products to Syria, Lebanon and Turkey and often boasted that he designed the shoes of Ottoman sultans.

Daana noted that the profession was more popular in the past, though it was much harder before the advent of machines for treating leather. In the past, the artisans would sew their products by hand — and most, such as shoes or bags, would take two to three days to make. Then came small sewing machines, followed by huge machines in factories where leather goods could be produced quickly and in great numbers. The final blow came with the production of synthetic leather.

“But some still appreciate authentic leather goods, which is our Palestinian heritage, and we cannot leave it,” said Daana. “It is in our blood. Some tourists visit the Levant countries to buy belts and bags because they have heard about their historical reputation for leather work. They also like Jerusalem for its historical touch. I carve 'Jerusalem' in Arabic on some products I make. Tourists return to their countries proud of this little souvenir from Jerusalem — a special handmade leather bag or a belt.”