History

The so-called saponification is a chemical process, already discovered by the Stone Age people: the bold of the animals roasted on the fire dripped into the glow, the rain drenched the ash and thus a soapy product emerged which could be removed astoundingly well from the hands. The oldest indication to the production of soaps is found on a cuneiform writing notice board of the Sumerians which is approx. 4500 years old. These sophisticated nations already had well-founded chemical knowledge, because they realized that plant ash owns the effect of lye. To extract the required potash which is richly in carbonic potassium, the Sumerians burned date palms or fir cones. While they mixed this lye with oils, they invented the basis of all soaps. Nevertheless, these first soaps were not used as a cleaning agent but rather as a remedy for injuries. By the time the soap-containing pastes made by the Egyptians were also used for the treatment of illnesses - such as worms or articular gout, but also for the cleaning of clothes, as cosmetics and for ritual cleanings.



However, the full potential of the soap was tapped only late. In the beginning the Romans did not use soap for the personal hygiene, but for cleaning their woollen capes. The Gauls and the Teutons also didn't use the soap for the washing, but as a setting lotion. Only from the second century the soap was used for the first time for the personal hygiene, although it was only little suitable due to its very liquid and viscous consistency. Only 500 years later, approx. 700 A.D., the Arabs succeeded to refine the art of soap boiling and to produce thus the first hard soaps on the basis of olive oil. From the 8th century this art diffused from Aleppo ("Halab" in Syria) around the Mediterranean. Till today there are around 70 soap works. With the propagation of Islam the art of soap boiling came to Southern Europe. That's how in the Middle Ages, above all, in Spain, Italy and France the art of the soap cooking was perfected and soap developed to a popular commodity. Particularly in Genoa and Marseille the soap boiling reached a regional blossom.

By adding scents, extracted from different plants, the soaps were refined in France. Thus, the toilet soap in the form of cosmetic soap balls was born and highly appreciated at Europe’s courts, although inaccessible valuables for the masses of the population. They were not used for cleaning, but served for cosmetic purposes or as a remedy and from the 16th century for the shave of the men. Soap from the Mediterranean countries was a luxury which could only be afforded by well-to-do crowned heads.



In the late Middle Ages the soap boilers faced hard and difficult times. Washing was proscribed due to the plague and the people feared that the water could damage and bacteria could enter and cause illnesses. Consequently it was respected as adequate to change the laundry – mostly not possible for poor social classes. Even doctors represented to far the 18th century the opinion that water and air damage the body. Therefore, clothes just served like powder as a protection against these injurious elements. Not until the civil 19th century the attitude changed and the demand for the cleaning product "soap" rose. Regular washing became fashionable. It did take long till the first industrial mass production and the usage of soap established as a cleaning, detergent and personal hygiene product.


Syria

The name Syria was formerly used for the region between Asia Minor and Egypt, from the Mediterranean coast up to the syrian coast. Today's Syria encloses about 185,000 sq. kms and is almost as big as the Federal Republic of Germany. It lies between Turkey, Iraq, Jordan, Israel, Lebanon and the mediterranean sea where it has a coast, about 180 km long. By the fact that Syria is in an ancient cultural area, in which very early high cultures and civilizations blossomed out, all historical epochs have contributed to an overabundant cultural legacy. In Ugarit possibly, on the coast of the mediterranean sea the first character font of the humanity originated more than 3000 years ago. The descendants of Alexander the grate, the Greeks and Romans left, for example, the theater of Bosra, the imposing column streets of Palmyra and countless temples.



Today Syria is a completely Arabian, Islamic land which on no account, however, closes mind to the modern age. Religious fanaticism is strange to the Syrians and people of different faith are met with tolerance. There are nearly one dozen Christian denominations and the druse with their religion descending from the Islam are integrated all into state lives. The geography of the country is diversified. In the south black basalt fields extend on those a delightful wine grows. The approx. 2,800 meter high mountain Hermon that is snow covered till the spring lies across the region. In the east the Euphrates passes through the desert steppe, the Assad reservoir stores life-bringing water, many people still live in ancient dome houses from loam and bedouins pass through this area with their herds. In the oasis Tadmor the antique town "Palmyra", one of the most worth seeing ruins can be found. Towards the mediterranean sea the we can find a fertile green area, where olives and dates are planted. On the coast many clubs originate for tourism and in the back-country on a ridge with an impressive view the gigantic castle "Krak de Chevaliers" is situated.