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UNESCO adds Palestine embroidery to Cultural Heritage List

“The art of traditional embroidery is widespread in Palestine. Originally made and worn in rural areas, the practice is now common in all of Palestine and among members of the diaspora.”

December 16, 2021 at 9:19 am

UNESCO has added Palestinian embroidery to its List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, Arabic media reported yesterday.

This came after the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage met on Monday.

On its website, UNESCO wrote: “The art of traditional embroidery is widespread in Palestine. Originally made and worn in rural areas, the practice is now common in all of Palestine and among members of the diaspora.”

It added: “Women’s village clothing usually consists of a long dress, trousers, a jacket, a headdress and a veil. Each of these garments is embroidered with a variety of symbols including birds, trees and flowers.”

UNESCO also said: “The choice of colours and designs indicates the woman’s regional identity and marital and economic status.”

Commenting on the addition, Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said that UNESCO’s approval of the Palestinian request to include the art of embroidery to the Cultural Heritage List helps protect the Palestinian identity, heritage and narrative.

He noted that this protects Palestinian heritage from the Israeli occupation’s attempts to “steal what they do not own.”

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