On looms still working in Hebron, the keffiyeh is woven in white and black thread with its familiar patterns.
The keffiyeh is an old head covering of the Levant that became, over time, one of the clearest symbols of Palestine. The best known is white with black patterns, though it is woven in other colours too.
People read pieces of daily life in its patterns: a net like a fisherman's, bold lines like trade routes, leaves like olive leaves. These are shared readings more than fixed rules, but they say how close this cloth has come to its people.
In Hebron a factory still weaves the keffiyeh on looms. A visit shows you the stages of weaving, from thread to knotted fringe.
When you buy a keffiyeh, ask where it was woven: one woven in Palestine carries something of the place with it.
