Published text:
In a two-bedroom apartment in Kingwood, Mahmoud Koseyaem sits on a red sofa. His eyes roam over the wall, only breaking to take a sip of black tea. He’s examining his latest tapestry: a profile of a buffalo. The wall is host to a weaving frame he invented, different from his larger, more traditional loom, which is too large for this space. He’s made it work, though, even if he is far from his hometown of Aleppo.
Koseyaem’s family has been weaving in Aleppo for more than eight generations. His father, Abdulkadr Mahmoud Khsyaem, used to have one of the largest rug stores in Aleppo’s famous Citadel bazaar. Koseyaem practiced weaving there as a child.
At fourteen, he made his first sale: a small rug that took four days to weave, sold to a British man who pestered the family for days about making the purchase.
“He was coming every day to our store looking at the rug, and then he asked, ‘When can I buy it?’”
The customer asked how much Koseyaem wanted for it. He was stumped. “I don’t know a number off my head, and I said 800 (Syrian Pounds). He said, ‘Whatever you ask for, you’re gonna get it.’”
“My dad took the money,” Koseyaem said, laughing. “That’s fine. I’m happy. I like my dad.”
Koseyaem first left Aleppo in 2008 to work with his uncle, who sold rugs in Dubai. He returned in 2011 when the Syrian Civil War was breaking out. During that time, he was hospitalized from exposure to chemical attacks carried out by the Al-Assad regime, and was also temporarily detained by government forces. Concerned for his safety and ability to make a living, he again left to settle in Dubai.
He continued selling rugs, and it was in that shop where he met his now wife, Alyssa Young. A weaver herself, Young impressed Koseyaem with her knowledge about weaving. The couple had a child, Mila Rose, in Dubai, and started a business both selling rugs and teaching weaving classes. But the pandemic affected their success, ultimately leading them to uproot again and move to Young’s hometown, Houston, in 2021.
Since moving to the U.S., the family has diversified their business Magic Rugs, selling Koseyaem’s handwoven rugs and reselling imported rugs, antiques and Middle Eastern goods on their Etsy and at various markets. They’re a staple at many markets around the area, including Round Top and Canton Market, and they’ve traveled as far as Arizona to set up shop.
Almost five years after moving to Texas, Koseyaem has few regrets. “You never know what’s gonna happen to you in the market,” he said. “You never know, like, literally you never know. You just have to do it. Don’t be afraid, don’t be scared.”
Koseyaem hopes to visit Aleppo again in the future. After the Al-Assad regime fell in December, that hope feels more secure to him.
“I am dying to go back and eat this Syrian sweet that they used to have in the old markets,” he said. “It’s like I’m just dying to have it. I miss my mom. Just not to be mean or whatever, I really miss that sweet.”
Reporting Background:
While at the Houston Landing, I sourced, pitched, reporter, wrote, photographed and packaged this piece. Here’s a link to the published story.