The art of embroidery in Palestine, practices, skills, knowledge, and rituals was inscribed into UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2021.
According to the Nomination file No. 01722 for inscription in 2021 on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, it was described as:
“The art of embroidery is widespread in all cities, villages, and camps of Palestine, and is rooted there since the Canaanite era. The Palestinian embroidery was affected by the multiplicity of places in which it originated or moved to and due to the inter-cultural process after the exodus of the Palestinians in 1948, but the style and method of embroidery remained the same. Palestinian women carried their embroidery art with them to their places of refuge in all parts of the world as a symbol of national identity and pride. In view of the development in the means of communication and outreach, embroidery has become widespread and influential in neighbouring countries, as it has taken modern patterns while retaining the known traditional form that is distinguished from the rest of the forms of embroidery in the world as it carries the story of Palestinian women and summarizes their style and their relationship to land and life.”
February is National Embroidery Month. We want to highlight this beautiful heritage of embroidery in Palestine, amid destruction of cultural and historical heritage sites in Gaza. According to an article on the Guardian on February 4th, more than 200 buildings of cultural or historical significance have been destroyed in Gaza.
Palestinian cross-stitch embroidery, “fallahi” comes from the word “fallaha” which means farm woman, because it was embroidered mostly by village women.
Palestinian embroidery : traditional "Fallahi" cross-stitch Kawar, Widad and Nasir, Tania Tamari 2nd edition. Beirut : Al-Mo'assasa al-Aarabiyyah Lidirasat wa al-Nashr, 2003. English HOLLIS number: 990093496510203941