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about El-Tahhan

 

Since the beginning of the first quarter of the twentieth century (1925), El-Tahhan began his trip with the natural laurel soap industry; when his  grandfather worked since the beginning of his career in natural laurel soap industry, he learned and mastered the art of this industry by the most important manufacturers and teachers in Aleppo city, which is one of the most important regions and countries in the world in the production and manufacture of natural laurel soap.

Then came the second generation of the family “El-Tahhan” and inherited the profession and industry from his father then he began to produce and trade laurel soap as well, where the first commercial company was founded under the name “El-Tahhan” in 1987, in Aleppo city.

Today, the third generation of the family has established the “El-Tahhan” Company in the Turkish city of “Nizip”. The production and the company’s headquarters moved to work and invest in this profession outside Syria for the first time since 2015 and until today.

The company believes in the importance of preserving this ancient industrial heritage for the manufacture of natural laurel soap, and the traditional way they inherited from their first grandfather, with their belief in the need to develop this industry and promote the importance of this product globally.

Ingredients of "El-Tahhan" Laurel Soap

Traditional laurel soap consists of olive oil, natural laurel oil and water, as well as sodium hydroxide. The concentration of natural laurel oil is usually between (2-66%). This ratio usually determines the quality and cost of traditional laurel soap.

Laurel oil can also be substituted with other natural vegetable oils, such as hazelnut oil, black pond oil, coconut oil and other aromatic natural oils. Depending on the natural benefits of each type of natural vegetable oil.

Laurel soap can be used daily as a washcloth and shampoo for hair, as a face mask or as a shaving cream for men. It is very useful for infants and children. Laurel oil is an effective cleanser, antibiotic, anti-fungal and anti-itching agent.

History of Laurel Soap Industry

Laurel soap, also known as “Aleppo” soap or “Halep” Soap, this name is related to the city of Aleppo, where the production and manufacture of laurel soap is a major industry; this soap is named after the presence of aromatic laurel oil, which is included in its manufacture. It is a highly hand-made soap linked to the geographical area between the city of Aleppo and the northern city of Gaziantep in Turkey (where the industry needs special weather and climate). Aleppo soap is classified as a Castilian soap because it is a harsh soap made from olive oil and the “Shanan” plant, which is characterized by the smell of laurel oil.

The history of the existence of this product has not been determined in history; however, it has been proven that this industry has existed since ancient times. Some historical accounts confirm that Queen Cleopatra in Egypt and Queen Zenobia in Syria used this soap to care for their skin Hygiene, since ancient times.

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How to make "El-Tahhan" soap

The laurel soap is manufactured in the old traditional way that is passed down through generations, which go through several stages of manufacturing to the final product.

First stage (oil painting):

The olive oil, which is called “terminal oil”, is extracted from squeezing olive again after extracting the table oil from it in the first juice. The oil is placed in a large container in the ground, which burns the fire, and adds water and sodium water to it. This process continues for two days under constant observation until the oil reacts with the water and the sodium hydroxide, so that the soap becomes homogenous. Then add the laurel oil to the mixture and mix with it at the end of the boiling process, and leave a period of time until the final mixture lies.

Second stage (casting):

The mixture is taken from the container and poured on a flat floor in the factory, where the mixture is poured on the tarpaulin. At this stage, the soap is a combination of green and viscous. The purpose of this phase is to cool and stiffen the mixture. This process takes between 15-24 hours in cooler weather).

 

Third Stage (Hacking):

After the textures dry slightly, the workers walk in flat wooden shoes bounded in their legs by walking over the mix and cut the soap into cubes of equal size. All the plates are then stamped manually with the factory logo, which is usually the ratio of laurel oil in the mixture. Collecting and accumulating soap plates in the shape of a telescopic tower allows air to pass within it, to help dry the soap cubes naturally, until they reach 6-7 months, when the soap passes through natural chemical changes, evaporates a good proportion of water, making it a long lasting soap, At this stage turns the color of the laurel soap from the outside to the golden color and from the inside remains green. Therefore, it is said about the soap prepared in this way (Aleppo gold).

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