{"id":271169,"date":"2020-04-09T09:18:07","date_gmt":"2020-04-09T12:18:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/anba.com.br\/?p=271169"},"modified":"2020-04-09T14:08:45","modified_gmt":"2020-04-09T17:08:45","slug":"a-palace-of-syrian-culture-in-the-heart-of-campinas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/anba.com.br\/en\/a-palace-of-syrian-culture-in-the-heart-of-campinas\/","title":{"rendered":"A palace of Syrian culture in the heart of Campinas"},"content":{"rendered":"

S\u00e3o Paulo \u2013 If food itself is a one of the strongest ways to keep the connection of immigrants and refugees with their home countries, for the Zinou family this was just one step to bring their roots to the new country. Coming from Aleppo, Syria, in 2014, the couple and their three children fled from the war and found in Campinas, S\u00e3o Paulo, a space to create their first restaurant. To honor their home city, the family created Castelo de Aleppo and learned to serve homemade food in a cozy space.<\/p>\n

But the family wanted more than just bringing Arab food to the city that welcomed them. \u201cIt was a success, but Castelo is a simple, pay-by-weight restaurant. We have always wanted to do something bigger, so the people could learn about our culture. We are from Aleppo, one of the world\u2019s oldest, culturally richest cities. Unfortunately, the media depicts a lot of bad things about our culture. We wanted a special space where people could learn more. Then came the idea of Pal\u00e1cio do Sult\u00e3o<\/a>,\u201d Ayla Zinou, one of the Syrian couple\u2019s daughters, said.<\/p>\n

The idea was creating not just a restaurant but a Syrian cultural center. There they serve food, host events, sell decoration items from their culture and keep a tea house too. \u201cWe have ten different teas imported from Syria and Turkey. We also have a special coffee that we prepare in a sand machine, which is a very special thing in our region of Syria, Lebanon and Jordan. The Arab world is not just one thing, we have so many differences. So, we found this house, which kind of fits our cultures,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

The building of Pal\u00e1cio<\/strong><\/p>\n

But the house wasn\u2019t exactly ready. Seeing that it was very old, the three young Syrians considering not using it for the venture. \u201cBut my father, who\u2019s an engineer, and my mother, who knows about decoration, insisted in renewing this house. They did the impossible! I hope the time comes when they fulfill their dream, being happy rebuilding what they\u2019ve lost,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n

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The Zinous want to thank for the Brazilian welcoming with plenty of Syrian culture<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Most decoration items in Pal\u00e1cio do Sult\u00e3o were imported from Turkey, Syria, Lebanon and other regions in the Middle East. Every detail was thought to make visitor feel they are in Syria. For example, there\u2019s a space to taste the coffee in the traditional Arab coffee, sitting barefoot on the floor surround by rugs. The house also features imported tea machines and even the spices in the meals come from the Middle East.<\/p>\n

Food was not the work field of any family member before the war push them out to a new country. Ayla is a dermatologist, her sister an economist, and their brother was a student in Syria and in Brazil was admitted in the Electric Engineering course in the State University of Campinas (Unicamp). Their father is a civil engineering and used to own a lift factory, and their mother is an economist and owned a tourist office.<\/p>\n

A whole different life than the one they live now but for the culture they carry with them. \u201cWe had never worked with a restaurant before, but my mother cooked very well. In Syria we had the habit to invite friends every week, do a large table, and she always cooked for those home parties,\u201d Ayla said.<\/p>\n

In quarantine but still delivering<\/strong><\/p>\n

But still the idea is the house is not limited to food. \u201cWe\u2019ve opened last November. Our idea is cooking at least two full Arab dinners a month, with some dance and music performance or even an Arab movie. Cultural events to share our culture. Unfortunately, we didn\u2019t have the time to organize it all.\u201d<\/p>\n