Tatreez & Tea: Books to Read about Palestinian Embroidery
Palestinian dress history and embroidery (tatreez) traditions are a vital part of the tangible and intangible cultural heritage of the Palestinian people. While the embroidery techniques, dressmaking traditions and adornment practices are centuries-old, they've been largely preserved within the indigenous context of oral history. Much of the written publications on the art form is incomplete, and oftentimes includes errors and mischaracterizations. Wafa Ghnaim, better known as @tatreezandtea, shares her top recommendations.
Daftar Digest
We select the best from the Arab world each month, and put it in your inbox.
Curated Recommendations
Every time a guest joins us on one of our podcast series, they leave us with breadcrumbs to further explore some of the topics that they covered in the episode. Browse through some of the best recommendations for films, books, and music from the Arab world.
Staff Pick: Podcast Episode
Sonja Mejcher-Atassi
We did a deep dive into this episode of our This Is Not a Watermelon podcast with the author of "An Impossible Friendship: Group Portrait, Jerusalem Before and After 1948," professor Sonja Mejcher-Atassi.
Tsawwar
Tsawwar is a visual series enclosed monthly in our Daftar Digest and explores the stories behind a photograph taken in the region or by an Arab photographer.
Listen, Read, Watch: Palestine
Recommendations for what to Listen, Watch, Read list from Palestine, featuring Lana Lubany, Karim Kattan and Lina Soualem.
Beit Hammad — Al-Nabulsi Castle — The History of a Family Home
Mohammed Hammad writes about his family home in Nablus — Beit Hammad — sharing its history and its present.
Tsawwar... Adam Rouhana
Our new series, Tsawwar, explores places, people and moments in time through the eyes of photographers and their photos. This week’s features a photo and blurb by Adam Rouhana.
Finding Palestine in Michigan: On Painter Samia Halaby
Rachel Winter writes about her experience unearthing the story of iconic artist Samia Halaby in Michigan. Image credit: Shanti Knight.
El-Funoun Palestinian Popular Dance Troupe
El-Funoun Popular Dance Troupe gave new life to Palestine’s traditional musical and dance heritage, introducing some contemporary interpretations. The troupe is also responsible for creating the Palestine Folklore Day – an annual celebration that launched in 1986 - and for establishing the Popular Art Centre in 1987. Image via the Palestinian Museum Digital Archive.
Films To Watch From Palestine: Carol Mansour's Recommendations
In our Kawalis interview with Carol Mansour, we asked for her top recommendations fo
Tsawwar... George Azar
Our new series, Tsawwar, explores places, people and moments in time through the eyes of photographers and their photos. This week’s features a photo and blurb by George Azar.
Ibrahim Abu-Lughod: "Palestine's Foremost Academic and Intellectual"
Ibrahim Abu-Lughod pioneered the understandings and portrayals of the Middle East in political science and more broadly in America. Close friend Edward Said described him as “Palestine’s foremost academic and intellectual.”
Pioneers of Palestine’s Modern Sound: Sabreen Band
Sabreen’s music “reflects the humanitarian and cultural reality of Palestine while highlighti
Listen, Read, Watch: Resistance
A curated Listen, Watch, Read list spotlighting works of resistance from Palestine. With work by Riad Awwan, Tawfiq Zayyad and Rakan Mayasi.
Quartertones Mixtape: December '23
To round off what has been a difficult end to 2023, December’s mixtape is dedicated to Palestinian sounds, old and new.
QUARTERTONES MIXAPE
This mixtape is a collaboration with music creator and producer DJ Bonita (Farah A Bishara) who writes: "The short timespan between 2005 and 2008 holds tons of memories for Khaleeji music…”
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