Palestinian Embroidery: Symbol of Identity
Agencies – Sudan Events
The art of Palestinian embroidery is considered one of the most important traditional folk arts passed down through generations and a symbol of Palestinian identity. It is an art that is still strongly present among Palestinians despite the spread of modern ready-made clothing.
The history of Palestinian embroidery goes back to the era of the Canaanites thousands of years ago, and it is part of the culture and heritage of the Palestinian people. Dozens of decorations and colors combine shapes and colours, in each drawing a language that represents the story of the embroidered garment and the story of the one who wears it.
Director of the Palestinian Heritage Center, Maha Al-Saqqa
“The dress is an identity and a document of our existence in every Palestinian village and city. The Palestinian woman embroidered through the environment in which she existed… so her dress became her identity. For example, Jaffa was famous for its orange groves… so we embroidered orange blossoms on Jaffa’s dress and surrounded it with cypress trees… Beersheba’s dress was red But if her husband died, his color would change to blue… This is how we knew the Palestinian woman from any village and city according to her dress.”
The majority of Palestinian women are keen to own the Palestinian dress, whether traditional or woven in a modern way.
As part of this connection between the past and the present, Mrs. Maha seeks today to introduce embroidery into the uniforms of schoolgirls. In recent years, it has become remarkable to incorporate Palestinian embroidery into modern clothes, and its use is no longer limited to clothes only, but has gone beyond that to decorate accessories, furniture, and antiques.
