Tunisian craftsman who makes rare and expensive dye from seashells honoured in Kilkenny

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A Tunisian history enthusiast and craftsman who is making dye from sea snail shells, has been honoured by the Irish Lebanese Cultural Foundation at a ceremony in Kilkenny.

Mouhamad Ghassen Nouira works from a hut in his garden to process Murex snails using techniques first developed by the Phoenicians, to produce a dye known as Tyrian Purple that sells online for approx $2,500 a gram.

Mouhamad was guest of honour at a ceremony in the Pembroke Hotel, Kilkenny, which was presided over by Guy Jones, Chairman of the Irish Lebanese Cultural Foundation.

He was presented with a Cedars Award for excellence in innovation for his work to process murex snails, using a technique first developed by the Phoenicians to produce a dye known as Tyrian purple.

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His work started as a hobby when he was a boy in history class studying the Canaanites, the Phoenicians and the Carthaginians and how they were famous for extracting purple from Murex and that it was more expensive than gold.

Speaking at the ceremony Mouhamad described how his interest in this was first piqued. "I was a shy and quiet boy, sitting bored in yet another history class waiting for the bell to ring. For some reason that day, my ears perked up as my teacher spoke of the ancient Phoenician Sea people.

"She said that these one-of-a-kind merchants; who came from what is now Lebanon; produced a priceless purple dye from sea mollusks, a dye that was so expensive that it was literally worth several times its weight in gold.

"She went on to proudly describe how this colour would soon become the undisputed symbol of power and nobility. Little did I know as that unsuspecting 14-year-old how much these words would change my life forever. As I sat there in that class, these words literally dyed my soul," said Mouhamad.

Years later, he saw a dead murex on the beach and, remembering his history class, decided to experiment with how to make dye.

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From then on his adventure began. Nouira spent 14 years working out how to produce the dye from nets of Murex he buys from a local fisherman, extracting the glands, crushing the shells, fermenting and cooking them and eventually producing tiny amounts of purple powder.

"Over the past 14 years, I have managed to recreate this lost art by searching through ancient texts for clues, making endless experiments, adjusting processes, endless research. I experienced the most amazing of feelings as the most valuable and highly prized commodity of the ancient world started unraveling its long-hidden secrets between my bloody exhausted fingers" said Nouria.

It takes 54 kilogrammes of Murex shells to produce a single gram of Tyrian Purple, making it hard to be economically viable.

Huge mounds of broken shells from the dye industry of centuries past are still found near great Phoenician centres.

Nouira says that the brilliance and intensity of these colours is really something to behold.

"Quite simply, the Phoenicians must have never seen anything like them when they first discovered the dye that would soon revolutionize the ancient world and I vowed to revive it after centuries of oblivion," said Nouria.

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"It is a journey that helped me learn more about my identity, my culture, heritage and during which, in the total absence of any governmental support or funding, I had to sell what little pigments I produced as well as small dye kits for a number of years to support my research and my relentless quest to crack one of the Phoenicians' best kept secrets.

"An incredible journey that not only helped me reconnect with my roots but that also allowed me to rediscover Lebanon (aka the land of purple) and the ancient brotherly bond that still ties our people since the Phoenicians set sail to the shores of Tunisia more than 3000 years ago."

The Mayor of Kilkenny, Cllr. David Fitzgerald attended the ceremony and paid tribute to the innovation of Mouhamad and to his energy and motivation.

He also paid tribute to Guy Jones for his work in promoting ties between Lebanon and Ireland.

Mouhamad concluded by expressing his thanks and appreciation for his award.

"For as much as the love of the cedars land grew in my heart over the years through the color purple, I feel so honored and privileged today to receive the Cedars Award which is the culmination of 15 years of continuous work and research," he said.

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"On this occasion, I would like to thank the Irish Lebanese Cultural Foundation and my friend Guy Jones from the bottom of my heart for making this dream come true and I promise that I will cherish this honorable prize and continue promoting the legacy of our common ancestors through the magic of Royal purple for as long as I will walk the earth!

"Last but not least, I would like to dedicate this award to all those who believed in me and supported my work over the years particularly my parents who always instructed me to pursue my dreams to the fullest."

The award presentation to Mouhamad was made by Directors of the Irish Lebanese Cultural Foundation, Dr. Michael Casey and Ms. Christine Coman.