BETHLEHEM MALAK THOBE
THE BRIDAL DRESS OF BETHLEHEM, BEIT JALA, AND BEIT SAHOUR.
The dress is made of handwoven multicolored linen and silk strips of fabric, embroidered with the
famous tahreer and qasab stitch. The chest panel is embroidered with the qwar motif with five
stars; and the central part of the panel is framed with the motifs of the subyan, njoum. The phoenix
adorned the chest panel. The sleeves (al-erdan) and side panels (benayiq) are adorned with colored
silk strips decorated with the famous Bethlehem sa’aa motif.
From the collection of Maha Saca
THE GHABANEH THOBE
JERUSALEM, SILWAN, AND THE DEPOPULATED
VILLAGES OF LIFTA AND DEIR YASIN
The fabric is made of yellow Damascus silk, embroidered with the famous tahreer and qasab
embroidery stitch. The chest and side panels are decorated with motifs similar to those of
the Bethlehem bridal dress since the women of Bethlehem were the ones commissioned to
embroider Jerusalem-area dresses.
From the collection of Maha Saca
‘IRQ AL-LOUZ DRESS
WESTERN HEBRON HILLS (BEIT JIBRIN, AL-FALUJA, IRAQ AL-MANSHIYYA, ZIKRIN,
SUMAIL/AL-MAS’UDIYYA, TELL ES-SAFI, VILLAGES DEPOPULATED IN 1948)
This dress is known in these villages as a bride’s wedding dress from the 1930s. As its name
indicates, the primary motif is the almond branch that is embroidered with a special stitch called
rashiq, specific to this region, with its multiple bright colors on silk fabric in orange and green.
From the collection of Maha AbuShusheh
HEBRON HILLS
BLACK LINEN DRESS FROM AL-FALUJA OR IRAQ AL-MANSHIYYA
This black linen dress may have been made in the early twentieth century, as can be seen by the
embroidery design used on the sleeve and chest panels where opposing small triangles called
hijbeh were embroidered in a design called “Waves of the Sea.” The chest panel has an extension
to the back panel made of yellow Syrian material. The front panel of the dress has a magnificent
embroidered front piece with bright multiple colors on pink silk material called hermizi. The side
panel is a signature of the Hebron area, and its uniqueness stands out with the use of a combination
of hefty embroidery designs of squares, triangles, palm trees, and kheyam al Pasha (al-Pasha
tents). Finally the lower panel of the dress is framed with silk hermizi fabrics called tashreema.
From the collection of George Al-Ama
A 1940s BEDOUIN DRESS
This cotton dress is designed with bright and colorful embroidery on the sleeves and chest
panel, and the rest of the dress is heavily embroidered with blue thread that can be an
insinuation of the marital status of the “single” or widowed woman who owns the dress.
From the collection of Bank of Palestine
BRIDAL JELLAYE
YAFFA, BEIT DAJAN, c. 1880. A CELEBRATORY DRESS WORN AT WEDDINGS
AND SPECIAL CELEBRATIONS.
The dress is made from handwoven blue linen. The opening in the front is encircled with
colored silk fabric. The sleeves are short to show off the long sleeves of the white dress worn
beneath the jellaye. The cross-stich is used to beautifully embroider the dress mainly with the
motifs of the cypress tree, inverted triangles, and the Pash tent motif.
From the collection of Maha Saca
GAZA DRESS
This dress is named after the fabric Abu al-Metein, which was woven in the city of Al-Majdal. It
was the custom dress of northern Gaza, including Brair, Hamama, Herbia, Beit Lahia, and Beit
Hanun. This type of material was characterized by bright pink stripes on the sides of the central
panel, exclusive to the women of the Gaza area.
The embroidery design of the entire dress used brownish-red silk threads as the main color and
added bright pink, blue, green, and orange rutoosh. The extensive and rich embroidery design is
apparent not only on the squared front panel bordered with a peculiar blue frame but also on the
heavily embroidered side panels.
From the collection of Bank of Palestine
THE BLACK NA’ANI DRESS
BEIT DAJAN, YAFA
Introduced in the 1930s, the black Na’ani dress is considered to be the most beautiful dress in
Beit Dajan worn by the bride for her first appearance after marriage. It is named after the village
of Al-Na’ani, south of Beit Dajan, as it is said that a girl from Al-Na’ani was married in Beit Dajan
and brought with her beautiful dresses that were admired by the women in Beit Dajan and that
later inspired this dress.
Thobes from Beit Dajan are renowned for their beautiful motifs, including the Beit Dajan
cypress trees and triangles, and the orange blossom, among others. This special dress is also
decorated with Bethlehem-influenced couching in silver and golden threads.
From the collection of Maha AbuShusheh
BEDOUIN DRESS
This black habar (satin-like fabric) dress can be dated to the 1940s or 1950s. We can assume
that the dress belonged to a married woman due to the bright colors and heavily embroidered
designs used on the side and front panels. Finally, the short sleeves also display the same
extensive and extravagant bright color designs.
From the collection of Bank of Palestine
WHITE LINEN DRESS
LOD AND YAFA AREA (BEIT DAJAN AND THE 1948 DEPOPULATED VILLAGES
OF BEIT NABALA, DAYR TARIF, KAFR ‘ANA, AND AL-’ABBASIYYA)
Exceptionally, women from the Lod and Yafa area fully embroidered this dress for festivities and
special occasions using the Bethlehem couching stitch on white linen. Women from Beit Dajan
learned this technique from the famous Manneh Hazboun and later developed it to create their
own special version. These dresses were distinguished by their rose branches in festive colors
that covered the thobe like a spring garden.
From the collection of Maha AbuShusheh