The Depository · Browse · Middle East
The Depository documents 14 techniques in Palestine; by risk level: 7 critically endangered, 4 endangered, 2 vulnerable. Each record opens with a public summary; the full research record is free to view once registered.
The industrial jacquard-loom weaving of the kufiya, the 125cm-by-125cm square black-and-white patterned scarf so closely tied to Palestinian identity that it is often likened to an unofficial national flag, produced at the Hirbawi Textile…
A distinctive handwoven cotton fabric, prized for its bold stripes, rich sheen, and fine craftsmanship, originally produced in Al-Majdal (Majdal Asqalan, present-day Ashkelon), a coastal Palestinian town whose textile market thrived on…
The weaving of baskets, trays, mats, and containers from wheat straw, olive and almond twigs, palm fronds, and reeds, a rural Palestinian heritage tradition intrinsic to farming communities for centuries and historically practiced mainly…
The sculpting of gypsum, wood, plaster (stucco), and stained glass into qamariyyahs (skylights) and shamsiyyahs (windows) for the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock, within the 144-acre Haram al-Sharif compound in Jerusalem's Old…
The hand-blowing of colorful, swirl-patterned glassware in the Old City of Hebron, West Bank, an industry documented as emerging at the beginning of the Roman period and flourishing through the Arab Islamic, medieval, and Ottoman periods,…
The hand-carving of mother-of-pearl -- the hard, luminous silvery substance found in the inner layer of certain shells -- into crosses, rosaries, jewelry, and devotional dioramas, a traditional Christian Palestinian art form practiced…
The hand-crafting of Palestinian silver and brass jewelry, drawing from several overlapping traditions: Bedouin silver-work from the Negev and Sinai, Ottoman-era metalworking that flourished specifically in Jerusalem and Hebron, and…
The hand-carving of religious and decorative figures, crosses, nativity scenes, and rosaries from olive wood, an ancient craft thriving in and around Bethlehem, Palestine, reflecting the area's rich cultural heritage and providing a vital…
The construction of the shatweh, a distinctive conical headdress shaped like an upturned flower pot or a man's tarboosh, worn exclusively by married women of Bethlehem and the neighboring villages of Beit Jala, Beit Sahur, Lifta, and Ayn…
A fashion and craft-preservation collective built specifically around centring the artisans behind traditional Palestinian weaving rather than a single designer's personal brand, founded by Yasmeen Mjalli.
All miscellaneous & heritage-adjacent craft techniques worldwide →
The hand-tanning and shoemaking of leather footwear in Hebron, directly documented as the shoemaking capital of Palestine, historically sustained by family-owned tanneries operating for centuries, sourcing cow, goat, and camel leather from…
The wheel-shaping, glazing, and hand-painting of ceramic bowls, tiles, plates, vases, cups, trays, and lamps in Hebron, blending Islamic geometric motifs, floral patterns, and calligraphy into vibrant designs in signature shades of…
The production of hard, ivory-colored, virtually scentless olive oil soap in the city of Nablus, a fertile region watered by natural springs that has served as a base for soap production for more than a thousand years, acclaimed globally…
Cross-stitch embroidery applied to garments, most traditionally the thob worn by Palestinian women, with roots documented in Canaanite and Phoenician textile work dating back approximately 3,000 years.