PLEASE GO TO THIS LINK TO EXPLORE THIS MARVELOUS PROJECT IN FULL... but if per chance, the link no longer works, I have tried to include every part of the tapestry seen in 2021.
https://www.palestinianhistorytapestry.org/
https://www.palestinianhistorytapestry.org/The Palestinian History Tapestry
The award winning Palestinian History Tapestry uses the embroidery skills of Palestinian women to illustrate aspects of the land and peoples of Palestine – from Neolithic times to the present. In the past, Palestinian embroiderers have mainly used cross stitch (tatreez) and geometric designs to decorate dresses and other items.
Although some of these designs have been used in parts of the Palestinian History Tapestry, the Tapestry is a further development of traditional Palestinian embroidery. It shows how the creativity and imagination of Palestinian embroiderers has been used to represent the complicated illustrative imagery required for a history tapestry.
The Palestinian History Tapestry was proposed in 2011 by Jan Chalmers. Jan had worked for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency in Gaza and was familiar with Palestinian embroidery. She had also contributed to the creation of a 122-metre South African history tapestry stitched by village women living in poverty on the Eastern Cape of South Africa. The Keiskamma Tapestry, as it is known, illustrates 300 years of history leading to the end of apartheid, and it is now on permanent display in the Parliament House in Cape Town.
Jan’s proposal for a Palestinian history tapestry led Palestinians and friends to work together to establish and develop the Palestinian History Tapestry Project. The work of the embroiderers has been funded by charitable donations, and from sales of Palestinian embroidery.
The first phase of the Project was completed in 2018. Formal launch events coincided with the 70th Anniversary of ‘The Nakba’ (‘The Catastrophe’) – the ethnic cleansing of Palestine. This resulted in the forcible removal of 750,000 Palestinians from their homes, and the creation of the State of Israel.
The Tapestry was launched in London on 11 December, the day on which, in 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution 194. This resolved that:
“refugees wishing to return to their homes and live at peace with their neighbours should be permitted to do so at the earliest practicable date, and [that] compensation should be paid for the property of those choosing not to.”
The names of Palestinians who have contributed to the Project are followed [in parentheses] by the names of the places in Palestine from which their families originate, followed by their current locations. Their involvement in the Palestinian History Tapestry is an expression of ‘sumud’ (steadfastness). Their work, done in collaboration with friends, will hopefully draw attention not only to Palestinian history and heritage, but also to the internationally declared right of Palestinians to return to their homes.
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The Palestinian History Tapestry is owned by the Palestinian History Tapestry Project. Images and texts, copyright of the Palestinian History Tapestry Project.
Where not otherwise indicated, material in the Palestinian History Tapestry is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Era: Introduction
Neolithic Period (9,500—4,000 BCE)
Introduction of agriculture and the establishment of settled farming communities and villages, with domestication of animals, invention of pottery and the emergence of religious beliefs and cultic practices, as represented in figurines and tools.
Jericho was developed as one of the earliest fortified settlements in the world.
Era: Neolithic Period (9,500—4,000 BCE)
Pre-pottery statue [59 x 41 cm]
Source of image: Google Arts & Culture The painted plaster head of a Pre-Pottery Neolithic B statue discovered at Jericho may have represented a divinity, an ancestor, a mythical figure, or one of the deities of a Neolithic pantheon. Era: Neolithic Period (9,500—4,000 BCE) Further reading |
Stone-Copper Age (4,000-3,000 BCE)
Development of regional cultures based on pastoral life and agricultural production.
Introduction of copper and richer artistic and cultic traditions.
Era: Stone-Copper Age (4,000—3,000 BCE)
Chalcolithic figurine [59 x 39 cm]
Source of image: Yale University Art Gallery: The Whiting Palestinian Collection This
female figure dates from the Chalcolithic Period in Palestine, the
period of transition from prehistoric times to early civilization. Era: Stone-Copper Age (4,000—3,000 BCE) |
Chalcolithic ram [59 x 94 cm]
Source of image: Israel Museum, Jerusalem The Chalcolithic ram was found in 1895 by farmers ploughing land near the village of Yazur, 6 kilometres east of Jaffa. It is carved from a flat, squarish piece of limestone. It was most probably an important object in the religious life of the community. Era: Stone-Copper Age (4,000—3,000 BCE) |
Bronze Age (3,000 — 1,200 BCE)
Emergence of urban life and the establishment of the first fortified cities under Egyptian rule.
Canaanites, a group of Semitic people, settled in Palestine/Canaan and along the Syrio-Palestinian coast. They established semi-independent city-states, as reflected in Tell al-Amarna Letters; maintained maritime and land trade with the eastern Mediterranean, Egypt and Mesopotamia; invented the alphabet writing; developed a multi-deity religion common to Semitic peoples of the ancient Near East; and manufactured bronze tools.
Frequent rebellions by Canaanite city states prompted Egyptian military campaigns in Palestine.
Era: Bronze Age (3,000—1,250 BCE)
Electrum jug [59 x 37 cm]
Source of image: Christie's Auction House, New York A Western Asiatic electrum jug hammered from a single sheet of bronze. Syro-Palestine, early 2nd millennium BCE. Era: Bronze Age (3,000—1,250 BCE) |
Beni Hasan mural (1) [59 x 140 cm]
Source of image: Journal of Ancient Egyptian Interconnections The temple mural (1892 BCE) at Beni Hasan, Middle Egypt, depicts Asiatic herdsmen with three children coming to trade with a local Egyptian ruler. They are recognisable by their dress, pulled back hair, and short pointed beards. In addition to the humans, the mural portrays donkeys, weapons, goods, and tools. The designs on the women’s clothing are suggestive of designs used by Palestinian women today. Era: Bronze Age (3,000—1,250 BCE) Further reading |
Beni Hasan mural (2) [59 x 115 cm]
Source of image: Journal of Ancient Egyptian Interconnections The temple mural (1892 BCE) at Beni Hasan, Middle Egypt, depicts Asiatic herdsmen coming to trade with a local Egyptian ruler. They are recognisable by their dress, pulled back hair, and short pointed beards. In addition to the humans, the mural portrays gazelles, weapons, goods, and tools. Era: Bronze Age (3,000—1,250 BCE) Further reading |
Iron Age (1,250 — 721 BCE)
Massive population migrations led to the establishment of regional kingdoms in Palestine.
Phoenicians (descendants and heirs of the Canaanites) were seafarers and founded city states along the Syrio-Palestinian coast and maritime colonies along the southern shores of the Mediterranean.
Philistines (after whom Palestine was named) migrated from the Mediterranean, established a confederation of city states along the southern coast of Palestine, and manufactured iron arms and tools .
Hebrews (Israelites), a semi-nomadic Semitic people, settled in the central mountains of Palestine. They were culturally influenced by the Canaanites and were in conflict with the Philistines.
Era: Iron Age (1,250—721 BCE)
Philistine warrior [59 x 37 cm]
Source of image: https://claudemariottini.com/2012/08/15/the-philistines/ A Philistine warrior, as depicted in the Luxor Temple in Egypt. The Philistines are believed to have been part of a group of people known as the Sea Peoples, who came to Canaan from the eastern Mediterranean. They ruled the five coastal plain cities of Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Ekron, and Gath. Philistine civilization disappeared after its cities were conquered by the Assyrian Empire in the late eighth century BCE. Era: Iron Age (1,250—721 BCE) |
Philistine pottery, swans [59 x 92 cm]
Source of image: Decorative motifs on Philistine pottery Decorated Philistine pottery is known for some of the most beautiful motifs on early Iron Age decorated pottery. Stylistic representations of birds in the Mycenaean style were considered to be sacred. They are also featured on the Philistine ships in the reliefs in Ramesses III (20th Dynasty) mortuary temple at Medinet Habu, Thebes (modern Luxor), Egypt. They depict his battle with the Sea Peoples around 1175 BCE. Era: Iron Age (1,250—721 BCE) Further reading |
Philistine pottery, bird [59 x 99 cm]
Source of image: Decorative motifs on Philistine pottery This panel is based on the largest Philistine bird shard image known, from 12th/11th century BCE, which was found at Tel Miqne-Ekron. Era: Iron Age (1,250—721 BCE) Further reading |
Assyrian siege of Lachish, 701 BCE [ 59 x 84 cm]
Source of image: British Museum A set of Assyrian palace reliefs narrate the Assyrian victory over the kingdom of Judah. Lachish was an important city in Judah, second only to Jerusalem. In 701 BCE, the Assyrian army attacked the city from the south because of the steepness of the northern side, where the Jewish defenders situated themselves on the walls. Era: Iron Age (1,250—721 BCE) Further reading |
Babylonian/Persian period (721 — 332 BCE)
Palestine was brought under Mesopotamian hegemony, and was conquered in 721 BCE by the Assyrians and in 586 BCE by the Babylonians, who exiled much of the population. During this time, the name Palestine in the form of Plistu appeared for the first time in Assyrian documents.
The Persian emperor Cyrus conquered Palestine and allowed Hebrews to return from exile. Many of the characteristic ideas and institutions, including the term Jews, emerged during this time. Much of the Hebrew Bible was re-written and completed.
The name “Palestine” was mentioned by the Greek historian Herodotus and appeared later in the Old Testament in the Hebrew form “Pleshet”, originating from “Pleshteem” (Philistines).
Era: Babylonian/Persian Period (721—332 BCE)
Source of image: Damascus Museum, Syria Ba’al
was a title and honorific meaning “lord” in the Northwest Semitic
languages spoken in the Levant during antiquity. From its use among
people, it came to be applied to gods. Scholars previously associated
the theonym with solar cults and with a variety of unrelated patron
deities. However, inscriptions have shown that the name Ba’al was
particularly associated with the storm and fertility god Hadad and his
local manifestations. Era: Babylonian/Persian Period (721—332 BCE)Ba’al, God of Storm Cloud
[59 x 38 cm]
Embroidery: Janet Jameel Hamad [Silwad], Amman, Jordan
Supported by: Layfield Family, Stroud, UKFurther reading
Babylonian destruction of 1st Jewish Temple, 587 BCE [59 x 80 cm]
Source of image: Wikimedia Commons. Nebuzaradan burns down the temple2 The first Jewish temple (Beit HaMikdash), was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar II after the Siege of Jerusalem in 587 BCE. The embroidery is based on an image by an unnamed illustrator of Petrus Comestor’s ‘Bible Historiale’, France, 1372. Era: Babylonian/Persian Period (721—332 BCE) Further reading |
Hellenistic Period (332 — 63 BCE)
Alexander the Great conquered Palestine in 332 BCE, bringing it under the influence of Hellenistic culture, which impacted all aspects of life, art and architecture, philosophy and religion.
After Alexander’s death, his Middle East Empire was divided between two of his generals: Syria and Palestine under the Seleucides, and Egypt under the Ptolemies.
Jews led by the Maccabees revolted against the enforced ‘hellenization’, and an independent Hasmonean kingdom was established in 129 BCE. The Hasmoneans forcibly converted the Idumeans (early Arabs of southern Palestine) to Judaism.
Era: Hellenistic Period (332—63 BCE)
Source of image: Marisa Tomb Paintings One
of a pair of roosters, whose heads are turned backwards, straddling a
doorway to the main tomb chamber at Tell Sandahannah, an excavated mound
one mile south of Beit Gibrin. Era: Hellenistic Period (332—63 BCE)Hellenistic rooster
[59 x 34 cm]
Embroidery: Alia Abu-Rabia', Drejat, Naqab
Alexander the Great, 356-323 BCE [59 x 104 cm]
Source of image: House of the Faun Pompeii Alexander III of Macedon (356-323 BCE), commonly known as Alexander the Great, created one of the largest empires in the ancient world. He conquered the Persians, who had earlier subjugated Palestine. The land came into his hands with the rest of the Persian Empire. Era: Hellenistic Period (332—63 BCE) Further reading |
Roman Period (63 BCE — 325 CE)
Conquest of Palestine by the Romans in 63 BCE and establishment of cities such as Jerusalem, Caesarea, Sabastiya, and Beisan.
Appointment in 37 BCE of a vassal king, Herod the Great (an Idumean Arab), as ruler of Judaea.
During this time the ethnic make-up of the country included Jews, Samaritans, Idumeans and Nabatean Arabs, Greeks and Phoenicians.
Birth of Jesus Christ and spread of Christianity based on his teachings, and creation of the New Testament.
Two Jewish revolts against the Romans were suppressed. The first, in 70 CE, led to the destruction of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem; the second, in 135 CE (the Bar Kochba revolt), led to the razing of Jerusalem and the creation of a Roman colony – Aelia Capitolina – in its place.
Era: Roman Period (63 BCE—325 CE)
Source of image: https://tinyurl.com/76dbbi70 Sponsored by: Chalmers Family UK The Roman conquest of Judea in 63 BCE was solidified when Herod was
appointed King of Judea. In 132 CE, the Roman Emperor Hadrian joined
Judea and Galilee to form Syria Palaestina, so reviving the ancient name
of Philistia, combining it with that of the neighbouring province of
Syria. Era: Roman Period (63 BCE—325 CE)Roman Judea
[59 x 35 cm]
Embroidery: Jan Chalmers UK Further reading
Roman aqueduct, Caesarea, c. 25–13 BCE [ 59 x 71 cm]
Source of image: https://tinyurl.com/292je65y The aqueduct at Caesarea is on the coastal plain south of Haifa. The town and aqueduct were built by Herod the Great around 25–13 BCE, as the port city Caesarea Marittima. It served as an administrative centre for the province of Judea in the Roman Empire. Era: Roman Period (63 BCE—325 CE) Further reading |
Roman destruction of 2nd Jewish Temple, 70 CE [59 x 90]
Source of image: The Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs The siege of Jerusalem was the decisive event of the first Jewish–Roman War. The Roman army besieged and conquered the city after the Jerusalem riots of 66 CE. The Second Temple was destroyed in 70 CE, and the Menorah taken to Rome. Era: Roman Period (63 BCE—325 CE) Further reading |
Byzantine Period (325 — 638 CE)
Palestine came under the rule of the Byzantine Empire and Emperor Constantine legitimized Christianity and declared it the official religion of the state.
Palestine gradually became Christianized and many churches and monasteries were built at traditional sites associated with the life of Christ, among these the Church of the Resurrection (Holy Sepulchre) in Jerusalem and the Church of the Nativity in Beth Lehem. An influx of pilgrims visited the holy sites.
Era: Byzantine Period (325—640)
Source of image: https://orthodoxwiki.org/Helen Helena
was the mother of Constantine the Great, who became Emperor of the
Byzantine Empire. Constantine honoured his mother by granting her the
imperial title “Augusta.” Era: Byzantine Period (325—640 CE)Helena Augusta
[59 x 35 cm]
Embroidery: Alia Abu Rabia', Drejat, NaqabFurther reading
Early Islamic Period (638 — 1099)
Muslim Arabs conquered Palestine and arabised and islamicised the local population. The Umayyads based in Damascus (661–750) transformed Jerusalem (which became the third holiest Islamic city); built the Haram al-Sharif, which includes the Dome of the Rock and the Aqsa Mosque; and developed Ramla as capital of Palestine.
Under the rule of the Abbassids based in Baghdad (750–969), the Fatimids in Cairo (969–1073) and the Saljuqs in Damascus (1073-1098), Palestine continued to flourish and Jerusalem became a destination for Islamic pilgrimage and learning.
Era: Early Islamic Period (640—1099 CE)
Khirbet El-Mafjar, 734 CE [59 x 86 cm]
Source of image: Window in Khirbet El Mafjar Khirbet El-Mafjar is an Umayyad hunting lodge 3 km north of Jericho, built in 734 CE. It is known as Hisham’s Palace because it was thought to have been built by the Umayyad Caliph Hisham bin Abdul Malek (724-743 CE). Era: Early Islamic Period (640—1099 CE) Further reading |
Mosaic at Khirbet El-Mafjar, 734 CE [59 x 90 cm]
Source of image: Mosaic at Khirbet El Mafdjar The mosaics at Khirbet El-Mafjar, built in 734 CE by the Umayyad Caliph Hisham bin Abdul Malek (724-743 CE), are fine examples of Umayyad period art. All of the mosaics are of very high quality. The most famous depicts the “tree of life”, in the diwan of the bath complex. Era: Early Islamic Period (640—1099 CE) Further reading |
Crusader Period (1099 — 1291)
The Crusaders (Franks) conquered Palestine in 1099, followed by a process of colonization.
Jerusalem was sacked and its population massacred, and the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem was established, along with military orders to protect it.
The Franks established many cities, rural settlements, castles, churches, monasteries and industrial installations.
Era: Crusader Period (1099—1291)
Crusader soldiers [59 x 36 cm]
Source of image: Wikimedia Commons, Siege of Jerusalem 1099 Sponsored by: Shayma Waheidi [Bir Seb’a], Gaza, Palestine On 15 July 1099, the First Crusade reached Palestine and entered the port city of Acre, massacring Jewish and Muslim civilians and pillaging or destroying mosques and the city itself. As a result of this conquest, several small Crusader states were created, notably the Kingdom of Jerusalem. This lasted until 1291 CE, when its original and last possession – Acre – was taken by the Mamluks. Era: Crusader Period (1099—1291) Further reading |
Godfrey de Bouillon and crusaders [59 x 96 cm]
Source of image: Bridgman images, Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris The First Crusade began in 1099 when Pope Urban II called for a military expedition to help the Byzantines take control of the Holy Land. This inaugurated a period of two centuries in which Christians and Muslims often fought one another. Era: Crusader Period (1099—1291) Further reading |
Ayyubid Period (1187—1250)
Following the Zangids, the Ayyubids waged a ‘holy war’ against the Crusader states in the Levant. Salah al-Din defeated the Crusaders at the Battle of Hittin in 1187 CE.
Palestine and Jerusalem were recovered, Islamic holy sites were restored and consecrated, and Islamic art and architecture were revived.
In 1229 CE, al-Kamil surrendered Jerusalem to the Crusaders within a peace treaty.
In 1244 CE, Jerusalem was recaptured by the Khawarizmians.
Era: Ayyubid Period (1187—1250)
Ewer of Saladin [59 x 35]
Source of image: Louvre Museum, Paris. The Ewer of Saladin is named after Sultan Salah Al Din Yusuf. Saladin was a Kurd, who established the Ayyubid Dynasty, which unified Egypt and Syria under one Sultan from 1171 to 1260 CE. Era: Ayyubid Period (1187—1250) |
Mamluk Period (1260—1517)
The Mamluks overthrew the Ayyubids, and ruled Palestine from Cairo. They defeated the Mongols at the battle of ‘Ain Jalut (near Nazareth) in 1260. Baybars conquered most of Palestine from the Crusaders by the time of his death in 1277.
The Mamluks were great patrons of the arts and sponsored a large number of religious and secular buildings, constructed in a distinctive style. They also established an extensive network of khans (caravanserais) and postal stations, linked by a network of roads and bridges.
Jerusalem was further confirmed as a destination for Muslim pilgrimage and a centre of learning.
Era: Mamluk Period (1260—1516)
Source of image: Wikimedia Commons, Bassin Syrie An armed Mamluk warrior copied from an early 14th century Mamluk brass basin from Egypt or Syria (now in the Louvre), Paris. Era: Mamluk Period (1260—1516)
Source of image: Bible walks This
Makam (resting place) was dedicated to a shepherd (Ra’ai) named Hassan.
The tomb of Hasan ar-Ra‘i (مقام حسن الرعيعي) is located several hundred
meters south of Nebi Musa.
The structure is enclosed within a wall, has six arches on four sides
and topped with two domes. The Jerusalem-Jericho road was one of the
primary roads passing Nebi Musa, an ancient holy site. Mediterranean
Arabs made pilgrimages to Mecca past this point, and many-domed
buildings mark the end of the first day’s march. Era: Mamluk Period (1260—1516)Armed Mamluk warrior
[59 x 38 cm]
Embroidery: Janet Jameel Hamad [Silwad], Amman, Jordan Further reading
Makam Hassan er Ra’ai, 1270 CE
[59 x 97 cm]
Embroidery: Alia Abu-Rabia, Drejat, NaqabFurther reading
Madrasa al-Ashrafiyya Al Quds, 1482 CE [59 x 40 cm]
Source of image: Museum with no frontiers Sultan al-Malik al-Ashraf Qaytbay, one of the greatest patrons of Mamluk architecture, founded the al-Ashrafiyya Qaytbay, described as the third jewel of the Haram al-Sharif, after the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque, in Jerusalem. Era: Mamluk Period (1260—1516) Further reading |
Mamluk embroidery, 15th C [59 x 37 cm]
Source of image: https://tinyurl.com/y2dhkoma This panel has been copied from a 15th century fragment measuring 11″x 3-3/8”. Perhaps Mamluk embroidery influenced the patterns used today by Palestinians. Era: Mamluk Period (1260—1516) Further reading |
Ottoman Period (1516—1917)
The Ottoman Turkish sultan Selim I conquered Palestine in 1516 CE, and incorporated it in the Ottoman Empire. Under Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent an extensive programme of works was carried out, including rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem and the restoration of the Dome of the Rock and the Aqsa Mosque.
Palestine was divided by the Ottomans into the districts (sanjaks) of Jerusalem, Nablus, and Acre. Heavy taxation and repressive measures by the Ottoman authorities led to several revolts, with local leaders declaring ‘autonomous’ rule, such as Zahir al-‘Umar in northern Palestine, with his capital in Acre.
In 1801, a French invasion of Egypt and Palestine led by Napoleon was repelled at Acre by Ahmad Pasha al-Jazzar. Muhammad ‘Ali declared independence in Egypt and occupied Palestine (1831-1840).
The first wave of Jewish immigration to Palestine was in 1881. The aim to establish a Jewish homeland in Palestine was declared by Herzl at the 1st Zionist Congress in Basel in 1897.
In 1916, the British and French agreed to divide the defunct Ottoman Empire between them. Jerusalem was captured by British forces led by General Allenby in 1917.
Era: Ottoman Period (1516—1917)
Suleyman the Magnificent, 1520-66 CE [59 x 37 cm]
Source of image: Suleiman the Magnificent Suleyman the Magnificent ruled the Ottoman Empire between 1520 and 1566, during which time the territory of the Empire doubled in size and reached the apogee of its military, economic and political power. Popularly known as “the Magnificent” or “the Lawmaker,” he was the 10th Ottoman sultan and the 4th to rule from Istanbul. He was religiously tolerant, insisting that the Jewish and Christian sites in Jerusalem should be included within his rebuilt city walls. Era: Ottoman Period (1516—1917) Further reading |
Bab al-Amud [Damascus Gate], Al Quds, 1537-51 CE [59 x 73 cm]
Source of image: https://tinyurl.com/1qd5ykng Damascus Gate (Bab al-Amud) is one of seven main gates in the walls of Jerusalem. Built by the Ottoman Sultan Suleyman between 1537 and 1541 the walls are 4,018 meters long, at an average height of 12 meters and average thickness of 2.5 meters. The walls have 34 watchtowers. Era: Ottoman Period (1516—1917) Further reading |
Napoleon’s failure at Acre, 1799 [59 x 110 cm]
Source of image: Unsuccessful siege of Acre (1799) Advancing from Egypt, Napoleon Bonaparte tried to capture the key port of Acre between 18 March and 20 May 1799. His plans received a setback when his siege artillery was lost to the British Navy. Era: Ottoman Period (1516—1917) Further reading |
Port of Jaffa [59 x 158 cm]
Source of image: An Empire Marketing Board advertisement for Jaffa oranges. Jaffa oranges were cultivated by Palestinian farmers from the mid-19th century, and take their name from the port city of Jaffa. Mention of Jaffa oranges being exported to Europe first appears in British consular reports in the 1850s. Era: Ottoman Period (1516—1917) Further reading |
Qanun player, Jerusalem, c.1859 [59 x 56 cm]
Source of image: https://tinyurl.com/yuwsv26h This image of a Qanun player is based on a woodcut published by William McClure Thomson in 1860 (The Land and the Book: Or, Biblical Illustrations Drawn from the Manners and Customs, the Scenes and Scenery, of the Holy Land Vol II, p. 577). The qanun is a stringed instrument with origins in Assyrian Mesopotamia in 19th century BCE. The name of the instrument derives from an Arabic word meaning “rule, law, norm, principle”, which is borrowed from the ancient Greek word κανών (rule), canon in Latin. The qanun is either played solo, or more usually as part of an ensemble in much of the Middle East, North Africa, West Africa, Central Asia, and south eastern regions of Europe. Arabic qanuns are somewhat larger than Turkish qanuns, allowing the three and a half octave range to be extended to include extreme bass and extreme treble strings. Era: Ottoman Period (1516—1917) Further reading |
Oud player, Jerusalem, c.1859 [59 x 56 cm]
Source of image: https://tinyurl.com/e468qsx2 This image of an oud player is based on a woodcut published by William McClure Thomson in 1860 (The Land and the Book: Or, Biblical Illustrations Drawn from the Manners and Customs, the Scenes and Scenery, of the Holy Land. Vol II, p. 578). Instruments of the lute family were known to have existed in Mesopotamia at least as long ago as 3000 BCE. A short almond-shaped lute developed in the Sasanian Empire (224–651) came to be called the barbat or barbud, and this instrument was developed later into the Islamic world’s oud or ud. When the Moors conquered Andalusia in 711, they brought their oud into a country that had already known a lute tradition under the Romans. During the 8th and 9th centuries, many musicians from across the Islamic world flocked to Iberia. By the 11th century, Muslim Iberia had become a centre for the manufacture of instruments. These goods spread gradually to Provence, influencing French troubadours, and eventually reached the rest of Europe. While Europe developed the lute, the oud remained a feature of Arab and Ottoman music. Era: Ottoman Period (1516—1917) Further reading |
British Military Administration (1917—1920)
1917 The Balfour Declaration promises Palestine to the Jews of the world.
1917 British capture of Jerusalem from the Ottoman Turks.
1919 The Treaty of Versailles ends the First World War and marks the defeat of Germany and its allies, including Turkey.
1920 Treaty of Sevres strips the Ottoman Empire of its Arab provinces, including Palestine.
Era: British Military Administration (1917—1920)
Source of image: https://tinyurl.com/1jwa5f2q Sponsored by: Chalmers Family, UK In 1917, the British Foreign Secretary, Arthur Balfour, stated in a
letter to Lord Rothschild, a British Jew, that the British government
viewed with favour the establishment of a “national home for the Jewish
people in Palestine”, then an Ottoman region in which only 10 per cent
of the population was Jewish, “it being clearly understood that nothing
shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of
existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and
political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country.” Era: British Military Administration (1917—1920)
The Balfour Declaration, 1917
[59 x 41 cm]
Embroidery: Jan Chalmers UK
Supported by: Chalmers Family UKFurther reading
British capture of Jerusalem, 1917 [59 x 83 cm]
Source of image: British capture of Jerusalem, 1917 After the Allied occupation of Jerusalem in 1917, and until the Treaty of Sevres had been signed, Ottoman territories came under Allied military control, commanded by General Edmund Allenby. Era: British Military Administration (1917—1920) Further reading |
British Mandate (1920—1948)
1920 The League of Nations ‘awards’ Britain the Mandate of Palestine.
1920 Increased Jewish immigration and settlement with British support.
1936 — 1939 Palestinian Arab Revolt against British authorities, protesting increasing Jewish immigration.
1940 — 1948 Zionist terrorism and sabotage against the British authorities.
1947 UN Partition Plan to divide Palestine into separate Jewish and Arab states.
1947 — 1949 Ethnic cleansing of more than 700,000 Palestinians by Zionists – The Nakba (Catastrophe).
1948 Zionist declaration of the State of Israel.
1948 UN General Assembly Resolution 194 declaring right of return to their homes or compensation for Palestinian refugees.
Era: British Mandate (1920—1948)
Source of image: https://tinyurl.com/1kv1abm3 In 1922, the newly-formed League of Nations
decided the fate of the former Ottoman Empire. It ratified British
control of Palestine in the form of a ‘mandate’. This document required
Britain to lead Palestine towards independence, and create a ”national
home” for Jews, and incorporated the wording of the 1917 Balfour
Declaration. Era: British Mandate (1920—1948)
Source of image: https://tinyurl.com/1vet31p0 Sponsored by: Chalmers Family, UK The 1st Viscount Herbert Samuel, who was Jewish and a Zionist, was
appointed to the position of High Commissioner of Palestine in 1920 and
served until 1925. He received the post from Sir Louis Bols, of the
‘Occupied Enemy Territory Administration’, who handed over Palestine.
In return, Samuel signed a “receipt” acknowledging that he had received
“one Palestine, complete”, as described by the Israeli historian Tom
Segev in his book entitled “One Palestine Complete”. The abbreviation on
the bottom left of the letter stands for “Errors and Omissions
Excepted” (Seebag Montefiore S (2001). Jerusalem, p 431). Dr Ghada Karmi, Founding Patron of the Palestinian History Tapestry Project, reflects here on this 3-word acknowledgement of the British theft of the homeland of the Palestinian people. “On 30 June 1920, this parody of a receipt of merchandise (complete with E&OE – Errors and Omissions Exempted),
was drawn up one hundred years ago. It appears on official British
government headed paper, written by the head of the British military
administration in Palestine, Major General Sir Louis Bols, and addressed to Herbert Samuel,
Britain’s first High Commissioner in Palestine. The ‘merchandise’ in
question was the country of Palestine, and Bols added the word,
‘Complete’, on the receipt, possibly to make the point that the country
he was handing over also included an unwilling and rebellious population
of Palestinian Arabs, with all the strife and troubles that would
entail for Samuel. “Appointing Samuel, a practising Jew and ardent Zionist, to such a post was controversial at the time and regarded as illegal. A conquered people could not have their fate decided ahead of a peace treaty, as was the case in Palestine.
In addition, the British Mandate over the country did not commence
until 1922. In these circumstances no one in Britain was in favour of
appointing a civil administrator, let alone a Jewish and Zionist one, to
take charge in Palestine. Only the Zionists supported Samuel’s
appointment. “The receipt of ‘One Palestine, complete’ should be seen as
an angry and sarcastic expression of the resentment that British
military commanders felt towards the Zionists. In their view, Britain’s
soldiers had not achieved the conquest of Palestine in order simply to
hand it over to the Zionist movement. It was a tension that persisted
throughout the years of the British Mandate. “However strongly felt these sentiments may have been among the
British occupation forces, they were of no use to the indigenous
Palestinians. For them, the reality was that their homeland was being
passed, cynically or not, from one foreign group to another, neither of
which had legal title to it. “The real lesson of the story of ‘One Palestine, complete’ is the light it throws on Zionism’s influence over the development of British policy, as early as 1920.” Era: British Mandate (1920—1948)The League of Nations Mandate for Palestine, 1922
[59 x 106 cm]
Embroidery: Hejar Abu Saleem [Ajjur district of Hebron] Baqa'a Refugee Camp. Amman JordanFurther reading
“One Palestine, complete”
[59 x 35 cm]
Embroidery: Jan Chalmers, UKFurther reading
Postage stamp [59 x 36 cm]
Source of image: Postage stamp of Palestine The Palestine postage stamp had English, Arabic and Hebrew text. Hebrew was given equal status to Arabic and English even though the Jewish population was only around 10 per cent. The special treatment of that population was written into the terms of the Mandate with the Balfour Declaration. Era: British Mandate (1920—1948) Further reading |
Land ownership, 1946 [59 x 36 cm & 59 x 33 cm]
Source of image: Disappearing Palestine Under the British Mandate, land purchases and Jewish migration increased. In 1946, Jews owned 7 per cent of the land of Palestine. Era: British Mandate (1920—1948) |
UN partition plan, 1947 [_59 x 36 cm]
Source of image: Disappearing Palestine In 1947 the UN Partition Plan allocated the Jewish population in Palestine 55 per cent of the country, including much of the best agricultural land. Unsurprisingly, this division was rejected by the Palestinian population and by neighbouring Arab states. Jerusalem was intended as a ‘corpus separatum’ [‘separated body’] by the Partition Plan, which conferred a special status on it due to its shared religious significance. Era: British Mandate (1920—1948) Further reading |
Sumud-Steadfastness, from 1948
Sumud – Steadfastness (1948 onwards)
“The list of Palestinian losses is depressing…. That Palestinians do not give up is precisely what is so historic and inspiring about their resistance. For more than 100 years, the Palestinian people have been resisting and fighting for Palestine, holding on to what they have left of it, clinging on to the hope of one day reclaiming what they have lost.
Attention is often given to the armed resistance, but far more numerous, diverse, and long-standing is the unarmed Palestinian resistance. Labour strikes, boycotts, legal actions, political and community organising, demonstrations, marches, hunger strikes, passing the keys of demolished homes from one generation to the next, the formation of Palestinian societies and cultural groups in exile and refugee camps, lobbying politicians across the world, building creative local and sustainable economies, and everyday acts of resistance are all peppered throughout the history of the struggle.
Resistance also comes in the form of cultural productions that narrate and communicate the suffering of Palestinians; intellectual and academic studies that illuminate the history and lived realities of Palestinians; the development of political manifestoes and ideologies that pave a path forward towards freedom and liberation”.
From: Mark Muhannad Ayyash. ‘Fighting for Palestine’. Al Jazeera Opinion, 10 Oct 2020.
Era: Sumud - Steadfastness (1948 onwards)
Further reading
The ethnic cleansing of Palestine, 1948 [59 x 85 cm]
Source of image: Salman Abu Sitta Palestinians refer to the ethnic cleansing of Palestine as the Nakba (Catastrophe), illustrated by these maps. One shows the hundreds of Palestinian villages before 1948, the other map shows refugee camps in which expelled Palestinians were forced to live in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, the West Bank and Gaza. The maps are based on meticulous documentation by Salman Abu-Sitta. Era: Sumud - Steadfastness (1948 onwards) Further reading |
The Lone Refugee [59 x 38 cm]
Source of image: Ahmad Canaan. Artist This embroidery is based on a painting by the distinguished Palestinian artist Ahmad Canaan, born in 1965 in Tamra. He now lives in Jerusalem, and his painting of the lone refugee symbolises the Nakba [Catastrophe]. Era: Sumud - Steadfastness (1948 onwards) |
Disappearing Palestine [59 x 33 cm]
Source of image: Disappearing Palestine In March 1948, the Haganah and other Zionist militias began the forcible expulsion of 250,000 Palestinians, destroying their communities. The British Mandate of Palestine ended on 15 May 1948 and Jewish leaders declared the establishment of the State of Israel. War broke out and Israeli forces defeated the Arab armies. At the time that the armistice agreements had been signed in 1949, over 750,000 Palestinians had been displaced and 531 Palestinian villages and 11 urban neighbourhoods had been destroyed. The West Bank and East Jerusalem came under the control of Jordan while the Gaza Strip came under Egyptian control. In June 1967, Israel launched the Six Day War and occupied these territories, together with the Golan Heights in Syria. Era: Sumud - Steadfastness (1948 onwards) |
UNRWA founded, 1949 [59 x 85 cm]
Source of image: https://tinyurl.com/3htl75um The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) was established in 1949. The following year, it began providing nutritional, health, and educational services to about 750,000 Palestine refugees displaced as a result of the ethnic cleansing of Palestine. Today, due to lack of international support, UNRWA struggles, to provide services to over 5 million Palestinian refugees. Era: Sumud - Steadfastness (1948 onwards) Further reading |
Check point, 1967- [59 x 85 cm]
Source of image: Hannah Ryggen tapestries During the 1967 war, Israel occupied what remained of Palestine. Hundreds of military checkpoints were established in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and in Gaza. These are used to entrench Israel’s occupation of all of historic Palestine. Movement of Palestinians is restricted within the occupied Palestinian territory, with dire consequences for access to education, health care, and the economy. The design of this panel is influenced by “The Death of Dreams”, a tapestry woven by Hannah Ryggen at the time of the German occupation of Norway during the second World War. Era: Sumud - Steadfastness (1948 onwards) Further reading |
“Handala”, born 1969 [59 x 41 cm]
Source of image: Handala.org Despite the suffering endured by Palestinians since the occupation of their homeland, steadfastness and hope for justice survive. These qualities are symbolised in the determined stance of ‘Handala’, a creation of the Palestinian cartoonist Naji al-Ali. In Arabic, ‘handala’ means ‘medicinal bitter desert fruit’. According to Naji, “Handala was born aged ten – the age Naji was when he was expelled from his village, Al-Shajara, in 1948. Handala will remain that age and will become normal again only when the Palestinian homeland is restored. Naji was assassinated in 1987 in London. Era: Sumud - Steadfastness (1948 onwards) Further reading |
International Women’s Day, 8 Mar 1981 [59 x 45]
Source of image: The Palestinian poster project archives International Women’s Day, in Palestine and the rest of the world, is marked each year in early March. Palestinian women have participated in every stage of the Palestinian struggle for well over a century. They have stood side-by-side with Palestinian men, defying the Israeli occupation. They have had extra responsibilities within Palestinian society to struggle to advance their rights, their daughters’ rights, and women’s roles in the community. Era: Sumud - Steadfastness (1948 onwards) Further reading |
Parental protection, 30 Sept 2000 [59 x 70]
Source of image: BBC News On Saturday 30 September 2000, the second day of the Second Intifada, 12-year-old Muhammad Al-Durrah was shot dead at the Netzarim Junction, south of Gaza, as he took shelter with his father, Jamal. The image of a father trying to protect his son was captured on camera and sent shockwaves across the world. Muhammad’s father could be seen signalling in an attempt to stop the firing. The result was a burst of gunfire that put a premature end to Muhammad’s life and wounded his father. Era: Sumud - Steadfastness (1948 onwards) Further reading |
Faris O’deh, Standing Alone, 8 Nov 2000 [59 x 74cm]
Source of image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faris_Odeh On 29 October 2000, during the second month of the Second Intifada, a French photojournalist photographed 15-year-old Faris Odeh from the Zeitoun quarter in Gaza City confronting an Israeli tank with a stone at the Karni crossing into the Gaza Strip. Ten days later, on 8 November, Odeh was again throwing stones at the Karni crossing when he was fatally wounded by Israeli troops. The boy and the image subsequently assumed iconic status as a symbol of opposition to Israel’s occupation of Palestinian land. Era: Sumud - Steadfastness (1948 onwards) |
The Separation Wall initiated, 2002- [59 x 76cm]
Source of image: https://tinyurl.com/7qf89tld Since June 2002, Israel has separated Palestinians from their lands and relatives by constructing a wall that stretches for more than 700 kilometers, annexing Palestinian land in the West Bank. On July 9, 2004, the International Court of Justice ruled that construction of the wall was “contrary to international law” because it involves the destruction and confiscation of Palestinian property and imposes severe restrictions on Palestinian movement. Israel claims that the separation wall is necessary for its security. Palestinians use the wall as an artist’s canvas. Era: Sumud - Steadfastness (1948 onwards) Further reading |
Boycott, Divestment & Sanctions movement inaugurated, 2005 — [59 x 96 cm]
Source of image: BDS Movement The Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) Campaign is a Palestinian-led movement for freedom, justice and equality. BDS upholds the simple principle that Palestinians are entitled to the same rights as the rest of humanity. Israel is occupying and colonising Palestinian land, discriminating against Palestinian citizens of Israel, and denying Palestinian refugees the right to return to their homes. Inspired by the South African anti-apartheid movement, the BDS call for restrictive measures against Israel urges compliance with international law. BDS is now a vibrant global movement made up of unions, academic associations, churches and grassroots movements across the world. BDS challenges international inaction on behalf of Palestinian rights and against Israel’s occupation. Era: Sumud - Steadfastness (1948 onwards) Further reading |
Siege of Gaza, 2007 — [59 x 72 cm]
Source of image: Al Jazeera. Life Under Siege Israel has imposed movement restrictions on the Gaza Strip since the early 1990’s. Restrictions intensified in June 2007 following the election of Hamas in 2006. Israel then imposed a land, sea and air blockade on Gaza, citing security concerns. Despite relaxation of some blockade-related restrictions in recent years, two million Palestinians in Gaza remain ‘locked in’, denied free access both to the remainder of the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) and the outside world. The blockade has undermined the living conditions in the coastal enclave and fragmented the oPt and its economic and social fabric. The isolation of Gaza has been exacerbated by restrictions imposed by the Egyptian authorities on Rafah, its only passengers’ crossing. Era: Sumud - Steadfastness (1948 onwards) Further reading |
Disappearing Palestine [59 x 34 cm]
Source of image: Disappearing Palestine Since occupying the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza in 1967, Israel has unilaterally declared tens of thousands of hectares of so-called ‘State Land’ for Israeli settlements. In 2005, Israel closed its settlements in Gaza but has maintained its occupation there, controlling airspace, and access by land and sea. Israeli settlements, checkpoints, military zones, the separation wall and other access restrictions have turned the West Bank into a series of disconnected cantons. Over 520,000 Israeli Jews live in illegal settlements, flouting the provisions of the 4th Geneva Convention and international law. Successive Israeli governments have used economic incentives to encourage families and businesses to move to the illegal settlements. Era: Sumud - Steadfastness (1948 onwards) Further reading |
The dove [59 x 42 cm]
Source of image: Mary Knoll Office for Global Concerns The dove has been a symbol of peace for thousands of years in many different cultures, including Palestinian culture. It was Pablo Picasso who made the dove a modern symbol of peace when he used it on a poster for the World Peace Congress in 1949. Era: Sumud - Steadfastness (1948 onwards) |
The key for return [59 x 37 cm]
Source of image: PHT design When 700,000 Palestinians fled from or were thrown out of their homes during the Nakba in 1948, they took their house keys with them, convinced that they would come back after a week or two and re-open their front doors. The keys have been passed on from generation to generation as a reminder of their lost homes and as lasting symbols of their ‘right of return’. The Palestinian right of return or compensation was internationally recognised by the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 194, adopted on 11 December 1948. “One lovely word, and two lovely words, my homeland” Era: Sumud - Steadfastness (1948 onwards) Further reading
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Future of the Palestinian History Tapestry
Development of the Palestinian History Tapestry
Palestinian embroiderers will continue to be commissioned to stitch additional illustrative panels relevant to events and themes, from the Neolithic period to the present. The Palestinian Subcommittee for Panel Image Selection, will remain responsible for prioritizing additional images for stitch.
The Palestinian History Tapestry is owned by the Palestinian History Tapestry Project. Images and texts are copyright of the Palestinian History Tapestry Project.
Where not otherwise indicated, material in the Palestinian History Tapestry is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Era: Future of the Project
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