70-Year-Old Duhok Woman Keeps Traditional Tandoor Craft Alive

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – In Kamun village in Khanke subdistrict, Duhok province, 70-year-old Khadija Jassim continues to preserve one of the Kurdistan Region's oldest traditional crafts, handcrafting clay tandoor ovens, despite the physical demands of the work.

For more than 25 years, Khadija has been making Kurdish traditional clay tandoors, a skill she inherited from her mother. Speaking to Kurdistan24, she described the craft as both a family legacy and a lifelong passion.

"We have been making tandoors for 25 years," she said. "I learned this work from my mother. We have been here since 1986, and we continue to this day."

The production of a traditional clay tandoor requires patience and precision. Khadija explained that the process begins with collecting a special type of clay, which is then mixed with salt to strengthen the material before it is carefully shaped by hand.

"First, we collect a special type of clay, then we mix it with salt to make it stronger. Although the work is very difficult, we truly enjoy what we do," she said.

Despite the widespread use of modern ovens, Khadija said demand for traditional tandoors has increased in recent years as more families seek the distinctive taste of bread baked in clay ovens.

"People come from many different places to buy our tandoors—not just from the surrounding area. We've even had customers from Erbil," she noted.

While interest in the craft remains strong, advancing age has slowed production.

"When I was younger, I had much more energy. I used to make two or three tandoors a day. Now that I’m older, my strength has declined, and each tandoor takes two to three days to complete," she said.

The final stage of the process involves lighting a large fire inside the newly made clay oven, hardening it before it is ready for use. Once completed, the tandoor becomes the centerpiece of a household courtyard, providing families with freshly baked bread for years.

Through decades of working with clay and fire, Khadija Jassim has become a symbol of the Kurdish women who continue to safeguard the region's cultural heritage, ensuring that traditional craftsmanship is passed on to future generations.