BETHLEHEM MALAK DRESS: a booklet about the Tahrireh style in Bethlehem
This booklet is about one of the most beautiful and richly adorned dresses of all Palestinian dresses: the royal malak dress, the queen of all dresses. Focusing on the thobe al-Malak—the royal festive attire of Bethlehem women—the booklet documents the structure, materials, embroidery techniques, and symbolic motifs that define this exceptional costume.
Through clear explanations and detailed visuals, the booklet explores the distinctive malak fabric woven from silk and linen, and the gold couching embroidery (Tahrireh) that made Bethlehem a major embroidery centre. It presents the key components of the dress, including the chest panel (Qabbeh), side panels (Banayek), and sleeves (Kum).
The patterns featured in this booklet were carefully studied from original dresses and embroidery panels from the Widad Kawar Collection. The booklet explains the embroidery techniques used, including couching (Tahrireh), cross-stitch, fishbone stitch (Sabale), and appliqué borders (Tashreefe). It also introduces the symbolic motifs commonly found on the malak dress, such as the saʿat (watches), children, apple branches, roses, and floral forms, placing them within their cultural and symbolic contexts.
Designed as an accessible yet carefully researched introduction, this booklet offers readers, makers, and researchers a focused insight into the craftsmanship, symbolism, and elegance of Bethlehem’s royal dress tradition.
This booklet is about one of the most beautiful and richly adorned dresses of all Palestinian dresses: the royal malak dress, the queen of all dresses. Focusing on the thobe al-Malak—the royal festive attire of Bethlehem women—the booklet documents the structure, materials, embroidery techniques, and symbolic motifs that define this exceptional costume.
Through clear explanations and detailed visuals, the booklet explores the distinctive malak fabric woven from silk and linen, and the gold couching embroidery (Tahrireh) that made Bethlehem a major embroidery centre. It presents the key components of the dress, including the chest panel (Qabbeh), side panels (Banayek), and sleeves (Kum).
The patterns featured in this booklet were carefully studied from original dresses and embroidery panels from the Widad Kawar Collection. The booklet explains the embroidery techniques used, including couching (Tahrireh), cross-stitch, fishbone stitch (Sabale), and appliqué borders (Tashreefe). It also introduces the symbolic motifs commonly found on the malak dress, such as the saʿat (watches), children, apple branches, roses, and floral forms, placing them within their cultural and symbolic contexts.
Designed as an accessible yet carefully researched introduction, this booklet offers readers, makers, and researchers a focused insight into the craftsmanship, symbolism, and elegance of Bethlehem’s royal dress tradition.