Over recent decades, most of the vineyards that once made Darayya (Rural Damascus, southwest of Damascus) famous have disappeared as large areas of farmland were turned into residential neighborhoods. Yet grape cultivation has not disappeared entirely from the city’s homes or collective memory.
While vines in the fields were traditionally grown close to the ground, grape arbors have survived in some older homes and farms. Trained over wooden or metal supports, they provide shade, fruit, and grape leaves while preserving part of Darayya’s agricultural identity.
For many residents, the arbor represents more than a source of grapes and leaves. It holds memories of traditional courtyard homes, seasonal work, and family gatherings during the summer. Some residents are trying to plant vines again despite shrinking green spaces and the city’s changing appearance.
Grapevines in Vineyards, Grape Arbors at Home
Darayya’s name has been associated with grape cultivation for decades. Grapes were an important part of the city’s economic and social life, appearing in its homes, markets, seasonal work, and local cuisine.
Grapevines were cultivated in different ways across Darayya. In vineyards, they were generally grown close to the ground over large areas of farmland.
In traditional courtyard homes and on some farms, grapevines were trained over wooden or metal supports to form arbors. These structures provided shade while leaving the space underneath available for other household activities.
Over time, some farmers also began using grape arbors in vineyards, allowing them to make better use of the land beneath the vines by growing other crops.
Darayya’s agricultural landscape gradually changed as urban expansion reduced the amount of cultivated land. Years of war and destruction transformed the city even further. Today, little remains of its once-vast vineyards beyond the memories of older residents and the scattered grape arbors that survive in some homes and farms.
Grape Arbors in Traditional Homes
Zahra al-Nakkash, a native of Darayya, recalls the traditional courtyard homes that combined living areas with household agriculture. She said grape arbors were an essential feature of most houses.
Al-Nakkash told Enab Baladi that nearly every home had a grape arbor, along with other trees depending on the size of the courtyard. These included apricot, peach, greengage plum, lemon, citron, bitter orange, mulberry, and loquat trees. Larger homes also had water basins and garden areas planted with a variety of trees.
She added that, before piped water networks were introduced, almost every house had its own water source, either a well or a hand-operated pump known locally as a tromba. These sources supplied families with drinking water and water for irrigating their trees.
Al-Nakkash recalled that her family’s home covered about 400 square meters and contained several types of trees and crops. She said this was a common style of housing in Darayya several decades ago.
Vineyards Gave Way to Neighborhoods
Al-Nakkash’s memories extend beyond her family home to the city’s former landscape. She recalled that Darayya was once surrounded on several sides by vineyards and orchards.
She said areas near the Christian Quarter, as well as land around the bakery and the church, were once covered with vineyards and farmland. As the city expanded, these areas gradually became residential neighborhoods.
She also remembers a road lined with walnut trees on both sides. Their dense branches shaded pedestrians and offered relief from the summer heat. Much of that landscape disappeared as agricultural land declined.
Al-Nakkash believes urban expansion transformed the landscape for which Darayya was once known. Many younger residents have never seen the vineyards that made the city famous decades ago. Today, the grape arbors that remain in a few homes are among the last reminders of that period.
From Vine Cutting to Shaded Arbor
According to al-Nakkash, growing grapevines required no complicated techniques. Residents relied on simple methods passed down through generations.
They propagated the vines by taking a cutting from a mature plant and placing it directly in the soil. Alternatively, they placed it in a container until it developed roots, then transferred it to a permanent location.
At home, the vine was trained over wooden or metal supports as it grew, eventually forming a shaded arbor. It produced grapes for household consumption or sale, as well as leaves that families either used to make yabraq, a local dish of stuffed grape leaves, or sold in local markets during the season.
In the vineyards, grapevines were part of a broader agricultural system that also included fruit trees, wheat, and other crops. They contributed to family incomes, household food supplies, and seasonal work.
Grape Leaf Season in Homes and Markets
The value of a grape arbor extended beyond its shade and fruit. Many families in Darayya looked forward to the grape-leaf picking season, whether they preserved the leaves to make yabraq or sold them in local markets.
Al-Nakkash said women began picking the leaves early in the season. A single family could sometimes collect dozens of kilograms in one day before sorting, preserving, or selling them.
Once the grapes ripened, they were taken to market, providing an additional source of income for families that owned vineyards or grape arbors.
Al-Nakkash recalled tying a scarf around her waist to create a pouch for collecting the leaves, a scene repeated each year in many homes across the city.
A Playground and Family Gathering Place
In the memories of Darayya residents, the grape arbor also played an important social role. It was not only a source of food and income, but also a place where families gathered and spent time together.
Al-Nakkash recalled that older arbors were built low to the ground, making it easy for children to climb them, pick grapes, play, or hide beneath the vines. Modern arbors are often higher because construction methods have changed.
She said traditional arbors were formed by lifting low-growing vines onto wooden supports around their edges. Today, arbors are commonly built on columns and metal pipes that can reach a height of three meters.
Umm Haitham al-Samra, another Darayya native, has similar memories. She said the grape arbor at her family home was an important part of her childhood.
Umm Haitham told Enab Baladi that she played in the courtyard, climbed onto the arbor from the top of the stairs, and hid among its branches after quarrelling with her siblings. Her family spent long summer hours beneath its shade and ate grapes from clusters hanging overhead.
Her mother made jam from the grapes and preserved the leaves for preparing yabraq. The arbor also provided natural shade that helped keep the house cool during the summer.
When Umm Haitham moved into a home of her own, one of the first things she planted was a grapevine that she trained into an arbor. She wanted to recreate part of her childhood, not simply grow grapes and leaves.
She believes grape leaves grown in Darayya still have a distinctive quality and flavor that set them apart from those grown elsewhere.
The Grape Locally Known as Darani
Despite the decline of Darayya’s vineyards, residents still remember the locally known Darani grape as one of the varieties most closely associated with the city.
Al-Nakkash believes its distinctive qualities were not limited to its appearance. Its flavor, she said, was also shaped by Darayya’s soil and water.
She said the variety became so well known that some sellers began using its name for grapes grown elsewhere. Darayya residents, however, could recognize genuine Darani grapes by their taste.
She added that the same was true of other crops for which the city was known. Fruit and vegetables were often eaten soon after being harvested, preserving their freshness and flavor. Today, many products are transported and stored for longer periods before reaching consumers.
Preserving What Remains
Despite the loss of agricultural land and the transformation of the city’s landscape, some Darayya residents continue to plant grapevines and train them into arbors in new homes or houses restored after the war. Through these efforts, they hope to preserve part of the city’s agricultural identity.
They face several challenges, including water shortages and declining access to irrigation.
Al-Nakkash said some agricultural areas, including Shawaqa, now receive insufficient water. This has limited farmers’ ability to revive the afarming activity for which Darayya was once known.
The low-growing vines and extensive vineyards that once surrounded the city have largely disappeared. Yet the grape arbors that survive in some homes continue to preserve a small but meaningful part of Darayya’s agricultural heritage.
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