I took the picture above when I was visiting Tripoli’s traditional soapmakers with a group of friends who came from Beirut. It shows one of the colorful bundles of organic soap in their glorious display. They look really good, but the ones I’ve tried weren’t as impressive as they look. Still, apparently because the world is now more interested in natural, organic products, they’re making a comeback.
Hello, my name is Mustapha and I've been blogging about Lebanese society, business and politics since February 2005.
The ones at Luanatic workshop (Monot) are also made in Tripoli and are really good – very fragrant
hehe they look delicious actually
was this at khan el saboun?
I took a couple of my friends visiting from Europe to Khan Il Saboun and another khan in the old souk for a guy named Sharkass (who showed us how he makes real organic soap) this summer and honestly I was saddened by their state. The khan il saboun can be such a beautiful place with all the colors of soap and beautiful smell, but honestly the state of the whole building (or Khan) is shameful. Old machines are thrown around, and huge posters of famous people who have visited, the whole place looks like a mess. So I really do believe that Hassan and the municipality and ministry of tourism need to have an agreement soon. These places have so much potential of being a major tourist attraction in Tripoli, but these old khans look like destroyed and dirty buildings.
Ditto Ali.
Like Dar_al_akhdar said, those in monot are made in tripoli, and the place is much neater and fancier than the original place of fabrication..
Are these bath crystals? They look to small to be soaps,,when I first saw them, I thought they were little (or long) sour patch candies..lol
So, I shouldn’t by any when I go to Tripoli then?
I tried visiting khan il saboun last year with a friend but we couldn’t find the place and we got So lost… maybe next time i will have more luck
Danielle,
They’re soap alright. Of course you should buy some when you go to tripoli. They would make a great gift for your friends in Miami (colorful home made middle eastern soap from natural ingredients, they’re practically screaming to be given as gifts
)
Abaretruth,
like I said before, you should go with Danielle