Nablus, meanwhile, is traditionally famous for its soap production, while Hebron is renowned for glass blowing and ceramics. And Gaza City is known for the production of pottery and rugs.
Clothing
Among both women’s and men’s traditional clothing in Palestine there was considerable variation among social classes, and with distinct fashions between urban, rural and nomadic Bedouin populations. Traditional clothing was usually made of cotton or linen.
Traditional male clothing such as tunics and Ottoman-influenced styles gradually gave way in the early 20th century to Western-style clothing. Contemporary urban women also tend to dress in Western clothes most of the time. Sandals are the traditional footwear for Paletinian men. Shoes and other footwear are typically removed before entering the house.
Women’s clothing became more conservative in the late 1980s, after the beginning of the First Intifada, when more women started covering their hair and wearing long and loose-fitting clothing.
Traditional headwear varies. The Bedouin keffiyeh is worn on the head and held in place with a length of rope. The keffiyeh, or hattah, is a square of cloth often white with a checkered or fishnet pattern in black or red.
In the early 20th century this headwear became a symbol of Palestinian nationalism and began to be adopted by non-Bedouin Palestinians.
Today the iconic garment is popular among all social classes in Palestine and beyond. Internationally, supporters of the Palestinian cause sometimes wear the keffiyeh, and it has even been adopted by the global fashion industry.
Tatreez
Palestinian women have traditionally worn thobes, elaborately decorated dresses for formal wear on special occasions. These clothes often feature intricate cross-stitch embroidery, known as tatreez, that uses geometric patterning. Women passed down family embroidery patterns, and girls would stitch dresses to prepare for their marriage. They also included jewelry, other garments and accessories in preparing for married life. Each village and region developed its own unique embroidery styles, colors and patterns. Gaza’s Deir Al Balah region, for instance, is known for moon and feather stitching patterns. Even families who have lived for generations in a refugee camp have often preserved and passed down the traditional embroidery designs of their village. Some of these designs can be traced back thousands of years to antiquity — a remarkable continuity in a region subject to so much political upheaval. Women have sometimes formed cooperatives to produce embroidery collectively.
Asmaa models a traditional Palestinian dress she made on the machine that Anera provided her.
Tatreez can be used to decorate more than just clothing — pillow cases, tablecloths, handbags and many other items can be found adorned with the beautiful stitching.
Tattoos
Bedouin peoples have an ancient tradition of tattooing as a means of identifying tribes, showing status, or enhancing beauty. Often the symbols came from designs in ornate rugs. Although the practice faded in the 20th century, in part because many of the faithful consider it a forbidden practice in Islam, it is still possible to meet older women sporting the distinctive facial tattoos.
Henna
The art of henna goes back thousands of years in the Middle East, in Christian and Muslim traditions, as a symbol of good luck, health and sensuality. When Islam came to prominence beginning in the seventh century, and tattooing was no longer allowed, henna’s popularity in the Arab world grew.
It is used for celebrations like weddings, beauty and adornment, self expression, blessings and well-being, honoring ancient traditions, and more. The henna night before a wedding is an old tradition that brings together the bride and groom’s families to bond, celebrate, and take care of any last arrangements for the big day.
Henna stains are orange when the paste is first removed, but darken over the following three days to a deep reddish brown due to oxidation.
Source: Anera
