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Story:

Sultan is from Syria and she arrived in Greece in 2007.

“This was passed down from my grandmother to my mother and from my mother to me. It’s an eye pencil. It’s like medicine for the eye. They make it in Arab countries, from the pits of dates. They fry it in oil until it turns black. I make it too, it’s called kajal. I brought it with me when I came. I came through the sea, through Turkey. I always have it in my bag, I never leave it behind, because it’s really important to my grandmother and to my mother and to me. 

I was the first girl to get married in the family. My husband is also from Syria but has been working here since ‘89. I couldn’t come with him then, I came much later. I have two twin sons – 14 years old – and a daughter, who is 16 years old.

The journey was very difficult because we were at sea, in a small boat containing 40 people. It was really hard, until I reached Thessaloniki and I said, finally, that was it! Thankfully nothing happened to the boat while we were on our way, because back then it was very rare for someone to travel like that. After I got to Thessaloniki I came to Athens, because this is where my husband works, as a car engineer. I work as a hairdresser at Egaleo.”

Information:

Creator of object:
Sultan
Place / Country of creation:
Syria
Year / Era of creation:
Provider:
Sultan
Type / Description of object:
Kajal (eye pencil)
Object route:
Syria – Turkey – Greece (Thessaloniki – Piraeus)
Year / Era of movement:
2007
Reason of movement:
Financial migrant
License of digital image:

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