Virtual Lecture: Regional Distinctions in Palestinian Dress, Late 19th/Early 20th Centuries

Date: Friday, July 18, 2025
Time: 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM EST
Location: Online, Zoom link will be emailed 24 hours prior to event
Instructor: Wafa Ghnaim, Dress Historian, Researcher & Educator
Registration Fee: Sliding scale

Description: Until the mid-twentieth century, the dress of the Palestinian people was descriptive of identity; first by societal segment (city dweller, villager or nomad), and then by the region in which the wearer came. Within each regional style, finer distinctions in women’s dress (thobe) were expressed that shared the maker’s life and the natural world around her. Palestinian women recorded their identity in their thobe with embroidery (tatreez) through a shared illustrative language of embroidered patterns, stitching techniques and thread colors. The thobe records unwritten stories and serves as a visual register of collective and individual identities, documenting a woman’s village, tribe or town, her marital status, her familial lineage, and the material impact of colonialism, occupation, war and exile. The regional identity of the woman defines the overall governing style of her thobe, and evidence of identity is largely through her embodiment of land.

This lecture will discuss the regional distinctions in dress in historical Palestine by city, village and tribe for at least six regions, to include Ramallah, Galilee, Gaza, Bir Saba, Al Khalil, and Bethlehem.

What You’ll Receive:

• Live access to the 2-hour lecture

• A recording for 7 days after the live session

Important Notes:

• All proceeds support the sustainability of independent, non-institutionally affiliated research, providing essential stability and security for the instructor. If you are able to contribute further to this work, donations are welcome here: tatreezandtea.com/shop/donation

• Tickets are nonrefundable.

• This is a live virtual event hosted via Zoom. If you are unable to attend live, you may still register to receive access to the recording.

• Registration closes at 10:00 AM EST on July 18, 2025.

• Waiting room closes at 12:30 PM EST.

• All participant names should match their registration name.

• A Zoom link will be sent to registered participants the day before the event.

• The instructor reserves the right to review and decline registrations at her discretion to ensure a respectful and safe learning environment for all participants.

• Camera sharing is required for all attendees.

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