Zainab Khalif
Deir El-Zor – Despite the sweeping changes that have transformed rural life in Syria, the millstone remains a constant presence in the lives of many families in the Deir ez-Zor countryside, especially in the eastern villages and towns of the region.
Women play a key role in preserving the millstone from extinction - not only by keeping it but also by continuing to use it.
Fifty-year-old Amsha al-Abd from eastern rural Deir ez-Zor explains that the millstone is made up of two circular stones, one rotating over the other:
“In the past, it was an essential part of every rural home. With the rise of modern tools, its importance declined in some areas, but it remains present in Deir ez-Zor thanks to women’s insistence on preserving this heritage. To us, it’s more than a work tool - it’s a school of patience, craftsmanship, and taste,” as many women describe it.
The millstone is considered one of the most important traditional tools. “We used it to grind all kinds of grains, and I still keep it because it represents part of our memory and identity. We used to gather every day - two of us facing each other on the millstone, while a third sifted the flour - continuing until we produced fine flour.”


A Tool of Labor and a Center of Social Life
The millstone was not only a means of food production but also a social hub where neighborhood women gathered for shared work sessions - chatting, laughing, and singing folk songs and traditional chants to lighten the burden of grinding.
“Although working on the millstone was tiring, it was enjoyable and had its own special flavor. The bread tasted different, and the millstone was part of our day and our soul. We worked, talked, laughed, and sang - simple moments, yet full of life.”
The millstone is usually made from hard black stone and carefully handcrafted. It features a central hole for pouring grains, a wooden peg known as ‘Jabb al-Raha’ to fix the rotation, and a top handle for manual turning.
Despite the decline in its production, some craftsmen in Syrian villages still make millstones upon request, fulfilling families’ desire to keep them - whether for use or display as a cherished piece of household heritage.


Heritage Untouched by Modernity
Even with the spread of modern mills and industrial bakeries, the millstone remains present in many homes across Deir ez-Zor. It is not merely a decorative artifact but a working tool used on special occasions, displayed in cultural events, and taught in local initiatives dedicated to documenting intangible heritage.

As Amsha al-Abd says, “We inherited it from our grandmothers, and we pass it down to our grandchildren. This is our heritage, and we must preserve it. The millstone grinds everything - barley, lentils, sesame, even stale bread. Natural food is better, and we learn how to work with our hands and create.”


Simple Details, Profound Identity
The millstone stands as a true example of how memory resists oblivion through the small details of everyday life. In the face of accelerating modernity, it emerges as a symbol of endurance - a cornerstone preserving what remains of Syria’s popular heritage, thanks to the women who carry this responsibility with love and awareness.
The women of Deir ez-Zor continue to turn this stone with steadfast hands, as if turning back time itself - preserving for their grandchildren the story of a homeland told by dusty yet life-filled hands. With every rotation of the millstone, grains are ground… and identity is preserved.