Join us on Power of Place for a conversation with Safa Jneidi and Iyad Alati. Their stories transport us to the ancient souks of Aleppo, Syria, where Iyad’s family once traded fabric along the storied Silk Road—a place they never imagined leaving. Now, they’ve built a new life on a quiet, forested island in the Pacific Northwest, bridging cultures through resilience, community, and the flavors of home.

Through vivid recollections, Safa and Iyad share a 400-year family history woven into the fabric of Aleppo’s 2,300-year-old Al-Madina Souq—a labyrinth alive with the scent of cumin and saffron, the clang of copper trays, and the steady hum of daily trade. More than a marketplace, the souk was home, an inseparable thread in the tapestry of their lives. It was also a place where tradition was preserved and passed down—not just through commerce, but through food. As with most Aleppians, cooking for Iyad and Safa was both a skill and a language of connection spoken through slow-roasted lamb, fragrant cardamom, and freshly baked flatbreads, each dish a bridge to memory and tradition.

Then, in 2012, war came. Forced to leave, they fled to Turkey, where Iyad worked in restaurant kitchens to survive. Later, they resettled in the U.S., passing through Tukwila, WA, before finding an unexpected home on Vashon Island—a rural community in the Salish Sea, accessible only by ferry from Seattle and Tacoma. The bustling Al-Madina Souq, the world’s longest covered market, now lay in ruins. In its place, misty forests and quiet shorelines became the backdrop to their new life.

Listen as Safa and Iyad share how, in exile, cooking became something more—a bridge between past and present. They recount the challenges of acquiring a small food cart, transforming it into Iyad’s Syrian Grill, and introducing their island neighbors to the flavors of Aleppo: smoky, spice-laden lamb skewers, fragrant hummus, and flaky, pistachio-studded baklava. Through these dishes, they stayed rooted in their heritage while building something new.

Just as Aleppo’s merchants dream of restoring the bustle of commerce to their city, Safa and Iyad share the trials and triumphs of building a new livelihood—one meal at a time. Their journey proves that building a new life is about holding onto a vision, nurturing it, and carrying it forward—wherever home may be.
<p>
“If you're working very hard and if you're working from your heart to improve something or to add something to this community, you will reach it.” ~Safa Jneidi
</p>
<p>
    𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸𝘴 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘰𝘥𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴. 𝘗𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘣𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘢𝘭, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘹𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦. 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘶𝘯𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘶𝘣𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦. 𝘓𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘥.
</p>

🎧 Power of Place Episode #58 | Silk Road, Cedar Shores - Safa Jneidi & Iyad Alati

yeah

All Vinyl set from our opening party on the new Chintz terrace

Chintz Terrace Vinyl mix - Opening Party 2025

Amor Yoyo

Lena

Suzana

Morena

Ta me pedir

Me deixa brilhar

Buzz 2 Borderz

In 2004 I started to mix vinyl with the turntables of Akedia, a Freetekno soundsystem from Dresden. In 2008 I met BSE Soundsystem, near Heilbronn at a Raveparty, and later got a member of it . My library of vinyls is Pumpin,Tribe,Mental/core,Acid/Tekno Hardtek and Hardtechno, Dubstep/Grime,
Footwork/Juke, Bassmusik, Ghettotech, House, and Stoner Rock. 
I my self listen to different styles of music, for example  Hip hop,Punk, Trap,Cumbia,Moombaton,Baile funk, Zouk bass, Bossa nova, Jazz,and much more . Currently heavily influenced by afro american music from Chicago, Detroit, and Memphis
 "You are the party!!!"


 
Next event:
2023
Leipzig, Nürnberg, Erfurt, ....

///OFFZET Leipzig///
>>>>>>Check your Zetwork

03.03.18
///OFFZET LEIPZIG///
Free Underground
=>>>>>> check your network

08.-10.09.17
Paranoir camp 2017 (CZ)

22.07.17
Dieze Fest
Leipzig

01.07.17
Twisted Frequencies
Sektor Evolution
Dresden

17.06.17 
Wagenplatz Weimar

Teknival east germany 2017

03.06.17
Bday Party
Leipzig
check your network

14.04.2017
"TEKNIVAL RIDERZ"
Coselweg 3, 01189 Dresden

Tune in to Power of Place – Stories of the Pacific Northwest, an audio storybook hosted by Edward Krigsman honoring places that matter and the people who steward, protect or celebrate them.  

Whether you have just arrived or have spent a lifetime here, we hope you will find our podcast both entertaining and grounding.

Enjoy Power of Place podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and your other favorite podcast platforms.

To learn more about our podcast series including exploring photos from each episode, please visit ekreg.com/podcast

The Cosmic Connection - Incapable staircase FM Thurs 21.30 - 23.00

Pineappleman is a musical storyteller, record enthusiast and humble traveller, collecting sounds of the universe to convey a journey of self exploration and expression.

Currently dwelling in the south west UK holding a residency at the chintz symposium, he curates monthly fundraiser and LBGTQ events as well as playing international festivals, eco conferences, ecstatic dance and sober raves his musical prowess extends many avenues.

With a conscious ear, KVNG plays music with purpose, to connect, love, reflect, process and grow, through songs and sounds of emotion and feeling.

2025 -

Tropical Pressure Festival July 12.07
Sea shanty afterparty - 18.06
Masked ball festival - Helston- 19.04
WanderFal - Afterparty (Chintz) - 11.04
Love Love Love Disco club - 27.03

2024

27.01 - Get your freak on - Underland
29.02 - Rave Om - scorrier house
22.03 - TBA - Underland
27.04 - LOVE IS THE WAY - Underland (Falmouth Pride)
04.05 - GYFO
10.05 - Whiskers
11.05 - Spargo
17.05 - Underland
24.05 - RTTS - Lunar stage
31.05 - Madam wongs - Great estate (b2b Alex Conrad)
15.06 - Sea Shady afterparty - Underland
29.06 - Garrison Gallery - Maker heights
12.07 - Enchanted dancehall - Tropical Pressure
14.07 - Enchanted dancehall - Tropical Pressure
20.07 - Underland - Get your free corn
07.09 - Bar Silo - Fowey
30.10 - Fury road chintz halloween special

2023

05.03 TRAX - Ahangama (LK)
7/8.04 Wanderfal Festival
04.05 Revenge of the synth
05.05 Cinco de Mayo - Underland
06.05 Chintz Courtyard party
22.04 Earth day - Patchwork studios
27.05 RTTS festival - St Mawgan
27.05 Get yer Freak on
03.06 Full Moon Dance - Underland
10.06 Love is the way / Pride
01.07 Tilly Portwrinkle
06.07 Noisily Festival
14.07 Once in a Blue Moon - Wales
15.07 Alfresco Disco - Bristol
16.07 Tropical Pressure Festival
22.07 Outside Devon
02.08 Cornish bank
11.08 Rumi fest
01.09 Get your freak on - Underland
02.09 Falmouth skatepark fundraiser
09.10 Dolphin inn Dartmouth
28.10 Chintz - The mighty boosh special
11.11 Gaza Fundraiser - Chintz
31.12 Time Warp NYE

2022 - Past gigs

31.12 Midnight Circus - Chintz/Underland
29th Oct - Zoltar returns - Underland
14th Oct - Cornish bank 
15th Oct - Whiskers  
1st Oct - Sink, Verdant
10th Sep - Cosmic funk daddy, Underland 
3rd Sep - Eddie North Devon
17th July - Enchanted Dancehall 
16th July - Enchanted Dancehall 
15th July - Tropical Pressure Festival 
7th July - Once in a blue moon
2nd July - Falmouth cringe Festival 
2nd July - Patchwork Studios
23rd June - tunes in the dunes 
4th June - Love is the way - Underland - Falmouth 🌈
11th June - Welcome Refugees - Coverack amphitheatre 
11th June - Rise of the Ants - The Cottage 🐜
15th June - Drawn to Wildlife - Cornish bank 🦆
17th June - Whiskers - Newquay 🐱
23rd June - Beytrees - closing party
27th May - Courgette Caberet - Planted 🌱
28th May - Dark Horse - Bristol
13th May - TBB - Bristol
21st May - Garden party
10th May - Verdant tap rooms
 5th May - Salsa Piante / Sinco de Mayo 💃Chintz - Falmouth
6th May - Whiskers 
7th May - Courtyard party
30th April - Wedstock - Cornwall 💒
16th April - Cornish Bank 🏦
22nd April - Bahama mamas 🍍 
25th March - Planted 🌱
17th April - Toast
4th March - Whiskers - Newquay 😸
26th Feb - No War party - Falmouth ☮️

2021 Past Gigs


31. 12 NYE Masked ball @ Underland - Falmouth
6.11 Halloween Masked ball - Helston
30.10 Chintz symposium - rocky horror show
15.10. Whiskers - (Salsa Picanté) Newquay 
11.09. Cornish Bank - Falmouth
5.09. Secret location
4.09. Pizza pls - Penryn
3.09. Whiskers - Newquay
14.08. Full Circle Festival - Holywell yoga retreat 
01.07. Bohls Yard courtyard party - Penryn
30.06. Olde Rope - Falmouth
19.07. Underland bar - Falmouth
29.04. Bangers & Tash - Secret location, Surry, UK

2020 Dates -
30.03 - 04.04 Brits snow week - Laax CH
07.03. Inner City Electronic Festival - Leeds
25.02 Gasthof Mayhrhofen Austria
16.02 Whynotmovement - Grillhof alm Penken Mayrhofen Austria

2019 Dates -

14.09 Krakatoa soundsystem - London
07.09 Matbon (1000lb sound) - London
24.08 Run the track rooftop launch party - London
14.07 Beatherder festival 
25.05 ORBS w/ Laik records
11.05 Reset - Old Red Bus Station - Leeds
09.05 - Paradise discs - 212 Bar, Leeds
03.05 - The Masked ball UK
19.04 - Happy hours, Morzine FR
02.04 - Indy bar, Laax CH
22.03 - Bucko Tulum MX
05.01 - 30.03 - Weary traveller residency MX

2018 Dates -

08.03 Limit w/ Moscoman - Wire Leeds UK
30.06 El Dorado festival UK
15.07 Beatherder festival UK
22.07 Boom Festival Portugal

📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/armaganakcay

🎵 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1x0p6lTix8BZL7qgayE8NP?si=j3cTyX-UToOxRpMwx6NfKw

🎥 Youtube: https://youtube.com/@awhitea

New tracks tagged #Souk