Hamdiya Izzadin demonstrated to Rudaw how she crafts accessories from cloves. She has been a craftswoman for eight years.
The 78-year-old woman has never worn perfume, opting instead for the aromatic allure of cloves.
“I have used cloves only as a perfume. They smell pleasant. We did not have perfumes in the past but now there are many types,” she told Rudaw.
Having gifted hundreds of necklaces and cummerbands to friends and family, her craftsmanship is both cherished and admired.
Soza Mohammed has been a craftswoman since 2015.
She used to decorate Kurdish traditional clothes with cloves but now uses cloves to decorate household goods as well.
She told Rudaw that the smell of cloves relieves her and the demand on its use is surging.
“Cloves were initially used as medicine. It has also been used as a spice. In the 1940s, we Kurds started using cloves as necklaces or women’s accessories because it has a pleasant smell and it has a positive psychological effect,” she said.
Clove has been part of Kurdish culture, with many singers mentioning it in their lyrics.
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