Kaarimo

Heritage from my great grand mother, Eugènie Boulad

Damas, Syria, 07.09

In the Haret-e-Boulad

The street sign in the Haret-e-Boulad, where the family used to live and forge swords .

Door of one of the houses of the family, Haret-e-Boulad, in Baab Touma.

Elias Boulad, a far cousin, still living near the Haret-e-Boulad.

My great grandmother's family, the Boulads, is originally from Damascus. But my great grandmother lived in Alexandria, Egypt, where she married my great grandfather William Mustaki Della Torre in the 1920's. The Boulads played an important role during the glory years of the Silk Road, as they used to hold the secret tradition of sword making in Damascus. In 1401, when Tamerlan sacked the city, a few members of the family were taken to Samarkand to continue their art and produce swords for the Mongols. Their name became Fulaz, which today means steel in Arabic and Persian.

Far right, my great grand mother at a reception in Alexandria in the 40's.

For more information concerning the story of the Boulad family: http://www.boulad.net/
(© Julien Boulad)