Idleb, Northern Syria, (SANA) _Syrian long-lived woman Wasila Ali Qaddour, known as Um Hassan, celebrated her 110th birthday with the beginning of 2010.

Wasila is from the northern Syrian Idleb Province. She has a strong memory as she still remembers the popular lyrics and songs. She is also in a good health, allowing her to do the housework.

Um Hassan was born in 1899 at the village of Isqat, to the northwest of Idleb city.The people of her town call her the memory of the popular village or the oldest grandmother. They consider her as a historical reference for the writers and historians of the village and the neighboring areas.

She told SANA reporter about her past and how she was walking barefooted with her mother when the French occupation forces gathered the people of the village to force them to give information about the revolutionists and their relatives.

During the interview, she also recited some of the lyrics, hailing the revolutionists of the great Syrian revolution, among them her cousin Aqil Isqati.

Wasila became an orphan when she was 4 years old. She was brought up by her grandmother and aunts. She was widowed at the age of 25 to find herself alone with four sons, the oldest of whom was 11 years old. She has now 100 grandsons.

She devoted her life to her children. In spite of the harsh circumstances, she used to gather the firewood from the nearby mountain. She also used to walk about two kilometers everyday to bring water, carrying a metal utensil on her head.

Vegetables are the basic food for Wasila. She doesn't eat meat except at the religious and social events. She can still fast and she wakes up early.

Ruaa AL-Jazaeri /Ghossoun