Women revive life in the Teanê village of Shahba by having a communal life.
The village of Teanê is located in the Shehba Canton, north of the city of Aleppo. It was formerly a Kurdish village; however, the population of the village changed due to the assimilation policies of the Syrian regime. After the Democratic Nation project began to spread across North and East Syria, the village regained its originality and returned to its essence. In the village, where communal life is practiced, the women participate in all spheres of life. They revive life in the village by raising animals, planting trees and making bread. Women are always in solidarity with each other.
The history of Teanê
The villagers say that the village is originally a Kurdish village and the people living in the village came from the north of Kobanê Canton. Due to the attacks, some people left Kobanê and settled in the north of Aleppo. The village named after an Arabic word “ṭaḥīna (طحينة)”, which means “to grind”. In time, the name of the village changed and became Teanê. The villagers told us that the village is a very ancient village and no one knows when the village was formed. The village is located on an area 10 kilometers long and it surrounds the village of Şêx Kêf in the south and the village of Ebil in the north. The villagers say that the merchants, who came from northern Turkey to the city of Aleppo stayed in the village.
Historic houses in the village show its history
When we visited the village, we saw many historic houses. There is an old water well in the village and all the villagers used to get their water from this well. Then, many water wells were dug in the village because the old water well is far from the village. The villagers used to grind wheat or other grains with a stone called, “cirnik” in the village. After the emergence of mills, the grinding method with stone disappeared in the village. But you can still see these stones in the village. There are very known families in the village. These families are the Abas family, the Remê family, the Qedûrê gilî family and the Hemkêrî family.
The village has a different tradition
The village of Teanê is well known as an agricultural village in the region. Most of the villagers are engaged in agriculture and earn their living in this way. The villagers plant vegetables in both summer and winter. The village has a different tradition; the villagers share their vegetables with everyone in the village. The village is also known with its Aleppo pistachio trees and olive trees. The villagers plant wheat, corn and lentils in summer.
The conflicts in Syria also affect the village
When the conflicts broke out in Syria, the village was also affected by them like other villages. The members of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) and ISIS entered the village. The villagers left the village in order not to live under the control of ISIS. After the establishment of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, the villagers returned to their home and they rebuilt their communal life. “We returned to our village and now live in peace thanks to the Autonomous Administration and defense forces,” the villagers say.
