Diwaniyah women keep tradition alive with clay ovens for bread baking

DIWANIYAH — In Ghammas, a city in Diwaniyah province, local women continue to use traditional clay ovens for baking bread, favoring them over more contemporary gas and electric options. Many of these women bake up to three times a day, finding that the clay ovens, crafted from Euphrates River soil, impart a distinctive flavor to their bread.

In Al-Ghazali village within the Ghammas district, Um Ahmed, who makes a living crafting these clay ovens, described the process to 964media. “I inherited this craft from my mother, who learned it from her aunt,” she said. “I make the ovens in various sizes to suit different family needs.”

According to Um Ahmed, the crafting method is straightforward but requires patience. She begins by sourcing high-quality soil from the riverbank, mixing it with straw to enhance durability. Then, she adds water to create a firm clay, gradually shaping it into a cylindrical form layer by layer. She allows each layer to dry before adding the next, building up the oven until it reaches its final shape.

Um Ali, another local woman, explained the significance of coating the oven with clay after installation to help it retain heat. Each oven, sold for around 10,000 IQD (approximately $6.60), requires minimal wood and can last up to three years, depending on its quality.

“Gas ovens irritate our eyes, and electric ones are too slow,” Um Ali noted. “Clay ovens bake better bread, are economical, and don’t need much wood.”

For these villagers, clay ovens are integral to their rural identity. Many women have used them since childhood and continue to rely on them daily, lighting the fires in the morning, at noon, and in the evening as needed.

“Clay ovens are essential to us,” said Um Ali. “We add an extra layer of clay during installation to preserve heat, and they’ve been a part of our lives for generations, unchanged.”

+7