Traditional dress of Palestine
Today, Custom Qamis makes you discover the traditional palestinian costume. Even if the traditional costumes of Palestine, Syria and Jordan are very similar because of their proximity, the palestinian dress has a great history. We had had to check out many archives to highlight the treasures that lie on that dress of this strong and great people.
An obligatory come back to 1918 to 1948
The palestinian traditional costume is very rich. Villager, urban or bedouin, the palestinian garment is different according to the region, but also according to the social class of the people. Furthermore, because of its heavy history, of his stolen memories, we should go back to the period between 1918 and 1948 to find authentics and propers informations.
Loss of memory or consented amnesia
Once upon a time, the travelers who visited Palestine were marveled in front of the diversity of traditional costumes, the loftiness of the cultural heritage, this mosaic of colors that the palestinian dress offered, in particular the women's clothes. The palestinian embroidery was an expertise uncontested, a feminine's master work. Henceforth, it is difficult to describe the palestinian clothing as he was at this period. There is an uncontested amnesia that reigns around the palestinian history. What emerges from the black and white pictures recovered on the web, it is the similarity with the syrian and jordanian costumes. Only the kofieh returns redundantly, as if the palestinian dress summed up to a scarf. Consented amnesia, or loss of memory, it is to be discussed...
The palestinian kofieh
The kofieh is ultimately the Palestinian cap. Worn by the bedouins and the Palestinians farmers, this scarf used to distinguish the rural people from the townspeople. Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, Iraq, the keffieh, for all these arabs people, is going to become the preprogative for both farmer, bedouins and townpeople.
Source : https://garbageandnoise.myblog.arts.ac.uk/category/illustration/
Where does the word keffieh come from?
The word Koffieh, of arab origin, comes from "kufiya", with reference to the city of kufa in Iraq. The patterns that adorn it are inspired by the kufi calligraphic writting style. Some people say that its name come from the italian "cuffia", or from the french "coiffe" or from the spanish "cofia". A loan due to the tradings links between the Arab World and the West. It does not matter, its style comes right from Kufa (a city from Iraq) .
A symbol of resistance
The kofieh was firstly worn by the iraqi bedouins and farmers. A bicolour scarf that they worn on their head to protect them from sandstorms et to distinguish themselves from the other people. The famous black and white kofieh would become a symbol of resistance during the great arab revolt from 1936 to 1939. The palestinian revolutionaries were wearing the kofieh to hide their face so to not be recognize when they were protesting against the british army. More easily noticed by this scarf, they were quickly caught and punished. The palestinian males then abandoned the traditional "tarbouche" in favor of the kofieh. This little scarf marked the end of the separation of classes, peasants and townsmen were reunited.
Show me your costume, I will tell you who you are
Townsmen, bedouins, farmers, the palestinian population was divided in three distinct classes, in a way that we would known the social class of the inhabitants by their costume. And then, with the arrival of the british soldiers between the 20s and the 40s, we saw the palestinian dress evolve. The townsmen had become more westernized with jackets and shirts, the others categories followed.
Source * : (look down) .
The "Thawb", the "Gallabiah"
In addition of the kofieh, the principal garment of the palestinian costume is the "thawb", or the "gallabiah", this robe with long sleeves that go until the ankles. Also called "dishdasha" in the neighboring countries, the palestinian thawb is more often of white colour. We also find it in black, blue, brown. As the yemeni men, the palestinian men are wearing the gallabia with a suit jacket.
Source * : (look down) .
The Shirwal
The shirwal is a large trouser worn by the palestinians, but not only! Indeed, this garment who looks like a sarouel is highly prized by all arab, as for its comfort than for its convenience. The shirwal is baggy at the crotch and tight at the ankles.
Source : https://garbageandnoise.myblog.arts.ac.uk/category/illustration/
The traditional palestinian costume may be partially or totally absent on the web, but the books of history, even rares and inaccessibles, are keeping in memory this heavy and fragile past, engraved in indelible ink.
* The photos of the article (those marked by one * and that on the front page) are extracted from the following Palestinian books :
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Source : flickr.com
