The Tiraz Centre in Amman, which opened just last year, is a vibrant, rare celebration of Palestinian and regional material culture. Formed from the extensive collection of garments, accessories, abayas and more from Palestinian heritage protector Widad Kawar, the Center offers a rare glimpse into the value and importance these materials played in the daily life of women in the region.
The garments, which can symbolize everything from marriage status to birth village, tell the story of the woman wearing them. Currently on display at the Centre is the “Golden Threads of Bethlehem” exhibition, which focuses on the artisanship and legacy of garments that came from Bethlehem from the 1880s until 1948. Traditional dresses and objects are laid out throughout the Center’s museum like curation, telling the story of Palestine’s “fashion capital”.
For the remainder of Ramadan, there will also be a small exhibition entitled “A Glimpse into Iraqi Heritage”, which focuses on the intricacy of hand-woven textiles and costumes from 19th to 20th century Iraq. By the 1930s, almost all of these hand-woven textiles became obsolete, replaced instead by machine-produced garments, making these items even more precious. Currently only two types of weavings remain from this heritage, being the Shalushopac fabric, which was created in northern Iraq and is used to make male Kurdish costumes, and the Najaf fabric manufactured in the South, which is used to make various types of abayas. If you’re in Amman, don’t miss this exhibition!
For more information: Learn more about the Tiraz Centre, and keep up to date on their various events and exhibitions on their Facebook and Twitter pages @TirazCentre.
For a beautiful read on Palestinian folklore and culture, check this book by author Ibrahim Muhawi out:
