“The Kalash” industry..A Handicraft fighting extinction in Kurdistan

Shafaq News/Kalash, a light shoe knitted from fiber or nylon, was worn by the general public and the poor population and spread to several areas including Iraq and Kurdistan.

It became a metaphor at the time, used to refer to the hardworking people; as it is handmade and takes many days, sometimes a week to make one pair.

Ikram Mustafa Najib, a resident from Halabja, born in 1971 and has been the owner of a shoe store in Halabja for 25 years. He told Shafaq News agency, “The Kalash shoes were originally from Horaman in Iran; they were first made 150 years ago and then their industry had spread out of Iran”.

Over the years and decades, the vast majority of handicrafts have disappeared after the global massive industrial development, but the profession of the Kalash industry is still struggling against extinction..This product is particularly popular in Kurdistan.

Ikram added, “many learned to make and sell the Kalash; at first it was made by women, and then men started learning this industry to earn a living.. My hobby was learning this handicraft and I did”, and continued, “Wearing a Kalash shoe has health benefits, as it prevents bacteria accumulation in the feet, hence no bad smell will be emitted from the feet even if you wear the Kalash for days”.

"There is a demand for the acquisition of Kalash by people, especially in  Halabja, Al-Sulaymaniyah, Erbil, and even other provinces, and tourists sometimes buy it as well", Najib said.

 He also explained that one person cannot make a Kalash shoe alone, as 3-4 people must participate in its production.. Each part of the Kalash is made by hand, for example, the mold of the Kalash is made by an experienced craftsman, the weaving of the sides require the same as well, and so on until the Kalash is complete.

Ikram pointed out, “the industry of one Kalash ends within a week; there are two types of Kalash in the market, a type called Horami from Iran and an Iraqi type that we and other people make in this region. When we make it, we give a three-year guarantee for we make it with precision and care that it will not be affected even if it was drenched in water –that explains the expensive price of the Kalash- as for the one made in Iran, it has no guarantee and is cheap”.

"The difference of the Kalash comes in three types according to the sub-mold or the heels of the shoe..Blue, red and blue, and white and blue; we design it according to the customer's request”.