The Timeless Thobe: Documenting Land, Heritage, and Culture in Palestinian Dress
A lecture by Wafa Ghnaim

The thobe, a traditional hand embroidered dress made and worn by Palestinian women for centuries, is the bedrock of Palestinian identity through heritage, culture, and land. For millennia, women in the eastern Mediterranean have showcased their skillful stitchery on their traditional dress, displaying unique motifs, colors, and styles across the various villages of old Palestine. After 1948, over 750,000 Palestinians were forced into exile, carrying their dressmaking and embroidery traditions with them into refugee camps around the world. As the diaspora spread across the globe, the largest and longest-standing population of displaced people in the world, the thobe evolved into a symbol of national and cultural identity beyond borders. Palestinian dress historian and educator Wafa Ghnaim will discuss the evolution of the thobe and the language of Palestinian embroidery as it was used on traditional dress throughout time.

February 26 at 6pm
38 West 86th Street, BGC Lecture Hall