crafts · heritage · Palestinian culture ·Sep 25, 2026

From Nablus Soap to Hebron Glass: The Palestinian Crafts Worth Knowing

Every Palestinian city has a craft it's known for. Over centuries, local materials, trade and family know-how turned towns like Nablus and Hebron into centers of skilled work, and many of those traditions are still going strong in small workshops today.

These crafts are more than souvenirs. They carry stories of place and family, and buying them keeps skilled artisans in business despite closures, checkpoints and economic pressure.

Olive oil soap from Nablus

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Nablus has been making soap for hundreds of years. The recipe is simple: olive oil, water and an alkali. The mixture is poured out to set, cut by hand into bars and stacked in tall towers to cure for weeks. Nablus was once home to dozens of soap factories, and only a few are still running, which makes each surviving workshop a piece of living history.

Hand-blown glass and ceramics from Hebron

Hebron is famous for its hand-blown glass in rich blues, greens and ambers, often made from recycled glass, along with hand-painted ceramics. Family workshops still craft vases, lamps and glasses the traditional way.

Tatreez: stitched identity

Tatreez, Palestinian cross-stitch embroidery, has been passed down by women for generations, with patterns that once signaled a woman's village. Today, women-led cooperatives keep the tradition alive. Our Palestinian Girls and Palestine Hope designs celebrate that same pride, and you can learn more in our guide to tatreez.

To support artisans directly, shop from fair-trade retailers and Palestinian cooperatives that sell online in the US, and tell the story behind each piece when you give it as a gift.