Majdalawi weaving

Majdalawi weaving is a style of weaving which originated in the Palestinian village of al-Majdal, which was later occupied as the Israeli city of Ashkelon. Weaving and fabric production was a vital part of the community's economy, and its products were exported to a number of surrounding Palestinian communities.[1]

After al-Majdal was depopulated in 1948, former residents continued to produce the style of weaving after being relocated to the Gaza Strip and other areas.

## Weaving in al-Majdal

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Weavers in al-Majdal, 1934–39

Traditionally, weaving in al-Majdal was done by men using single-treadle looms.[2][3] The fabric produced by the community was mostly cotton and wool-based, and was used throughout the southern region of what is now Israel and Palestine. The fabric was often sold in eight-metre pieces, the amount needed to create a single thobe; it took weavers one or two months to weave each piece.[3]

The three major fabrics produced were "malak" (silk), 'ikhdari' (bands of red and green) and 'jiljileh' (dark red bands). These were used for festival dresses throughout Southern Palestine. Many other fabrics were produced, some with poetic names such as ji'nneh u nar ("heaven and hell"), nasheq rohoh ("breath of the soul") and abu mitayn ("father of two hundred"). Other fabrics produced included Shash (white muslin for veils), Burk/Bayt al-shem (plain cotton for underdresses), Karnaish (white cotton with stripes), "Bazayl" (flannelette), Durzi (blue cotton) and Dendeki (red cotton).[4] One of the most iconic fabrics had an indigo or black cotton base with pink or fuschia stripes and turquoise accents.[3][5][2]

At the height of al-Majdal's weaving industry, the community had around 800 looms.[3] The town had around 500 looms in 1909. In 1920 a British Government report estimated that there were 550 cotton looms in the town with an annual output worth 30–40 million francs.[6] The industry suffered from imports from Europe, and by 1927 only 119 weaving establishments remained.[4] However, the weaving industry bounced back by the 1930s, when the town had about 400 looms,[7] and residents continued to produce fabric until the late 1940s.[8] This may be attributed to the fact that Majdalawi fabric was primarily being bought by local, rural populations, for whom European imports did not suit their needs.[9]

Under the British Mandate government, weaving classes were introduced to the al-Majdal village school.[10]

## After 1948

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Many weavers from al-Madjal were forced to relocate to the Gaza Strip, where they continue to weave in the Majdalawi style. Some weavers have also since moved to Egypt, or trained in Egypt.[3][5] More women have also since taken part in the style.[11]

In the 1990s, the Palestinian Authority attempted to revitalize the tradition in the Gaza Strip.[3][11]

Since 2020, Yasmeen Mjalli's fashion brand Nöl Collective has used tatreez embroidery and Majdalawi fabric.[5]

Many Majdalawi weaving workshops in the Gaza Strip have been destroyed since the beginning of the Gaza war in late 2023.[3]

## References

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1. ^ American University of Beirut Faculty of Arts and Sciences (1939). Economic Organization of Palestine. Social science series. p. 267.
2. ^ a b Abu Khalaf, Marwan. "Textiles | Country: Palestine". The Encyclopedia of Crafts in WCC-Asia Pacific Region (EC-APR). Retrieved 2024-07-30.
3. ^ a b c d e f g Abdel-Razzaq, Jumana (2024-01-09). "Keepers of Palestinian Weaving: Meet the Region's Last Weavers Striving To Keep the Majdalawi Legacy Alive". AD Middle East. Retrieved 2024-07-30.
4. ^ a b Weir, Shelagh (1989). Palestinian Costume. British Museum Publications. pp. 27–32\. ISBN 978-0-7141-1597-9.
5. ^ a b c Chan, Emily (2024-06-21). ""Craft Is An Identity": The Palestinian Weavers Determined To Preserve Their Tradition". British Vogue. Retrieved 2024-07-30.
6. ^ "H.M. Stationery Office (1920) Syria and Palestine — Viewer — World Digital Library". The Library of Congress.
7. ^ Pouillard, Veronique; Dubé-Senécal, Vincent (2023-10-24). The Routledge History of Fashion and Dress, 1800 to the Present. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 978-1-000-96348-9.
8. ^ Stillman, Yedida Kalfon (1979). Palestinian Costume and Jewelry. University of New Mexico Press. p. 75\. ISBN 978-0-8263-0490-2.
9. ^ Graham-Brown, Sarah (1980). Palestinians and Their Society, 1880-1946: A Photographic Essay. Quartet Books. p. 106\. ISBN 978-0-7043-2225-7.
10. ^ Colonial. H.M. Stationery Office. 1939. p. 160.
11. ^ a b Haidari, Niloufar (2023-07-31). "'Fashion Is Inherently Political': The Woman Mixing Palestinian Design With Sustainable Clothing". The Business of Fashion. Retrieved 2024-07-30.