00:00 This is how traditional olive oil soap is made in the Middle East.
00:05 It takes hours to cover the entire floor with hundreds of buckets of hot liquid,
00:11 enough to eventually make 30,000 bars.
00:15 These methods date back to at least the 14th century,
00:19 but this kind of business is fading across the region.
00:23 At its peak, there were dozens of factories like this in the Lebanese capital.
00:28 Dozens of factories like this in the Lebanese city of Tripoli alone.
00:33 Civil war and changing tastes forced all of them to close.
00:38 Except for two.
00:40 One of them is Masbanet Aouida.
00:43 But there's a dwindling demand for traditional blocks of soap,
00:47 as cheaper liquid varieties flood the market.
00:50 We went to the oldest soap factory in Lebanon to see how this family business is still standing.
00:59 Olive oil, caustic soda and water are the only three ingredients in this traditional recipe.
01:06 In the Middle East, olive oil is the magic oil.
01:11 Today, electricity powers the 143-year-old vat.
01:18 While it cooks, workers cover the floor with powdered soap flakes
01:22 to keep the liquid from sticking to the cement.
01:29 After three days, the liquid soap is ready
01:32 when it reaches a honey-like consistency and a dark green colour.
01:38 Just one of these buckets weighs about 30 pounds.
01:44 Workers form a human chain to carry the buckets to the pouring area.
01:50 They do this about 700 times for just one batch.
01:57 At this point, the soap is still burning hot at about 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
02:06 It takes three hours to turn the floor into a green blanket.
02:11 The factory used to have a pump that would cover the floor in just half an hour.
02:16 But it's been broken for months and they can't find the spare parts in Lebanon.
02:23 Waleed Daibi has been working here for 30 years.
02:29 We are all one family.
02:32 The boys are my cousins.
02:34 This is my uncle's father.
02:36 He's a carpenter.
02:38 He's a carpenter.
02:40 His father, Ali, worked here before him.
02:45 He retired after 50 years but still comes to help.
02:50 Today, he's evening out the soap with this comb to make sure it is 2.4 inches deep.
03:06 The soap sits to cool and harden for 48 hours.
03:12 Humidity or heat can ruin the batch.
03:15 The factory's style is Ottoman.
03:20 The tiles and stones give the soap a nice, airy feel.
03:26 They know the soap is ready when it's hard enough.
03:29 It looks good.
03:31 It needs to be brushed and cut.
03:35 Bassam Ayid shaves the surface to smooth it out.
03:40 But nothing goes to waste.
03:42 All leftover soap will end up in the next batch.
03:46 Bassam has been working here for 50 years.
03:51 This is the best way to make a good soap.
03:55 There's no other way.
03:58 Workers sprinkle stone powder so they don't slip.
04:07 The traditional shape is a perfect 2.8-inch square.
04:13 They soak this cord in dye and stretch it across the floor to mark the boundaries before cutting.
04:31 This is the king's cord.
04:35 We use it to mark the 90-degree line so we can use the same soap to mark the same line.
04:42 Finally, they spend two hours stamping 30,000 soap bars.
04:55 They have to do it in one go, otherwise the soap will harden.
05:01 The stamps are made of wood and copper.
05:06 Khalil is 77 years old, but he can do this job with his eyes closed.
05:12 Then it is time to cut.
05:24 You can't cut with a knife.
05:27 Come on, guys.
05:29 Let's go.
05:31 Slowly, slowly.
05:33 Slowly, guys.
05:35 Jason, leave your hand to the back.
05:38 It takes five people to operate the rake cutter that has been used for generations.
05:44 Khalil and two workers in the middle pull the cord and make sure the team stays on track.
05:51 Bassam holds the blades down with the help of another worker and follows the red markings.
05:58 Their body weight helps the blades cut the soap, but they have to be careful not to crush it.
06:05 Husni is always there supervising the work.
06:12 He also takes photos and videos to share on social media.
06:17 He wants to educate people about traditional soap making and encourage tourists to visit his factory.
06:23 People have been making soap with olive oil in the Middle East since at least the 10th century.
06:39 Three cities became well-known for it. Aleppo in Syria, the Palestinian city of Nablus in the West Bank,
06:46 and here in Tripoli on the northern coast of Lebanon.
06:50 Production peaked in Tripoli in the first half of the 20th century,
06:54 when there were dozens of factories exporting soap across the world.
06:58 But many olive groves were cut down in the 1960s to make way for new construction.
07:03 Then, in 1975, Lebanon was plunged into a bloody and destructive civil war that lasted 15 years.
07:12 It laid waste to the country's economy. Tens of thousands of people left and most factories closed.
07:19 The ones that survived faced fierce competition from mass-produced soap brands.
07:25 Husni's family kept the factory open through it all.
07:30 They used their savings to pay workers and keep production going.
07:35 About a decade ago, Husni brought in a new method that allows them to add fragrances like lavender, mint and chamomile.
07:44 Today, scented soap is their best seller.
07:57 But Husni still makes olive oil soap about four times a year.
08:04 Workers stack the soap bars in a cylindrical tower that allows enough airflow to cool it down.
08:10 They are left like this to dry for up to six months.
08:14 This traditional method is what brings tourists here.
08:19 But Husni says he would keep it going even if he had no visitors.
08:33 Traditional olive oil production has been declining across the Middle East for decades now.
08:39 This is one of the only three factories left in Nablus, a Palestinian city in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
08:47 Many similar factories were forced to close because of lack of demand and the continuing conflict with Israel.
08:54 Al-Jamal soap factory has survived for 130 years.
09:00 But things were already difficult when we filmed with them back in 2019.
09:05 Since then, the factory let go of all its full-time employees, including Ahmed El Fakhoury.
09:24 He still comes in for occasional work, but the factory now only makes a new batch after it sells out.
09:30 But the owner told us that he won't let the door close on the industry of his forefathers.
09:53 The Syrian city of Aleppo was once the centre of this business in the Middle East.
09:59 But years of civil war have nearly destroyed the olive oil soap industry here.
10:04 At one point, there were at least 200 factories.
10:08 Now, fewer than 20 remain, including the pearl soap factory.
10:13 Many workers were killed during the war, and others fled the country.
10:20 Still, the owner told us they're fighting to keep this tradition alive.
10:25 Back in Lebanon, Hosni is also determined to keep his business going.
10:32 He studied electrical engineering, but decided to take over the family business instead of entering that field.
10:49 This is the business of my ancestors.
10:53 It's the result of a love for this place, whether it's a place or an industry.
11:00 His great-great-grandfather, Haj Hossein Awaida, built this factory in 1880.
11:07 The factory was built by him, and he worked hard.
11:11 So I have all the respect and appreciation for this man.
11:16 Hosni introduced glycerin soap and aromatherapy oil, and sells them online and to organic shops and hotels.
11:23 His plan is to turn the factory into a school.
11:44 He has two young sons, but he isn't sure they'll follow in his footsteps.
11:48 While he doesn't know what the future holds, he's grateful to be a part of the business's story.
12:08 It reflects the culture of the country.
12:12 If you miss out on something, you miss out on a part of this country and its history.
12:16 [music]
Comments