In the Emirates capital of Abu Dhabi, a Palestinian artist holds embroidery workshops to raise awareness about Palestinian heritage and history.

Founder of “Tatreez Falasteeny,” (Arabic for Palestinians Embroidery) Deema Aweidah, a 22-year-old Palestinian who has yet to visit her homeland, says, “Tatreez (embroidery) is the closest thing I can get to Palestine," Aweidah expresses her longing and connection to her Palestinian heritage through the creation of Palestinian designs.

"Tatreez Falasteeny,” was founded in 2020 by Aweideh, focusing on Palestinian embroidery. She would create traditional symbols and designs and sell them to clients. She found that many of her diverse clients, from Arab backgrounds, wanted to learn the craft but had never gotten the chance to learn it from their mothers or grandmothers.

“It is important to teach them what Tatreez is and why it holds such a cultural and historical significance to us, Palestinians," said Aweidah.

"I realized within my workshops I have gained more of a diverse group ever since the last while, of people wanting to know why Tatreez is important and how to learn this craft, whether they are interested in an artistic point of view or whether they want to know Palestinian cross stitch in specific," she added.

Palestinian embroidery is an ancient practice with a history spanning 3,000 years. It was and still is a communal activity where women gather to stitch and share stories. Tatreez is now considered by Palestinians, and many Arabs, to be a significant symbol of Palestinian culture and identity. Known for its complex patterns and vibrant colours, each design holds its own story.

Aweidah was taught the craft under the guidance of her mother. Her inspiration comes from her mother’s aunt, who devoted her time and resources to teaching orphaned girls the craft, establishing a workshop where they could create Tatreez pieces and sell them to support themselves.

She explains the importance of the workshops, stating, “Once they take this piece home, it is like they are taking a piece of Palestine with them.”

Shatha Hamawi, a participant and civil engineer who moved to Dubai ten days ago from Sydney, finds peace in her community by joining the Tatreez Falasteeny workshop.

“It is important because we are trying to protect our Palestinian heritage and history,” said Hamawi, who is originally from Jerusalem. She had been stitching Tatreez for years with her community and friends in Sydney.

“Each stitch tells a story,” Aweidah stated. The workshop has fostered a community centered on the individual narratives and histories of its participants. One participant, a Palestinian woman whose family has sought refuge in Lebanon since the 1948 Nakba, attends the workshop alongside her Irish-Palestinian daughter to preserve their heritage and craft within their family.

Tatreez is often passed down through generations, serving as a way to preserve and celebrate Palestinian heritage. This form of embroidery not only showcases artistic skills but also embodies the stories, traditions, and cultural identity of Palestinian women.

“When we teach this, this art form as Palestinians to the next, that we are sharing all the different ways throughout history that Palestinian women and girls told their story and preserved their identity and their experiences,” said Wafa Ghnaim, an expert in the history of dress and embroidery techniques in the Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) region. She has now taken over her mother’s educational legacy at the Tatreez Institute (Tatreez & Tea) to continue teaching and promoting Palestinian, Syrian, and Jordanian embroidery for generations to come. -Report from Reuters