Jericho festival revives traditional Palestinian handicrafts

Artisans and hobbyists gathered at the Khayzuran festival on the lands of the Arab Construction Project Association in Jericho, Palestine, to showcase traditional crafts.

The festival aims to preserve and revive local industries such as clay brick making, pottery, and work with reeds and palm fronds. Organizers state that the craft of Khayzuran, which gave the festival its name, became linked to Palestine about a century ago through the Islamic Industrial Orphanage in Jerusalem.

Firas Al-Saifi, a festival spokesperson, said the event includes more than 100 stalls and shops selling Palestinian products like embroidery, dates, and handmade goods. The festival seeks to reconnect the historical link between Jericho and Jerusalem, as the Islamic Orphanage in Jerusalem currently works to develop the Khayzuran craft. The revenue from the three-day event will fund projects for the association, including a college to teach Palestinian crafts, agriculture, carpentry, and blacksmithing to children from needy families.

Husam Shahin, a member of the association's board, told attendees that the organization was founded in 1945 to support Palestinian farmers. He expressed the association's goal to host an international Palestinian handicrafts festival next year. At the event, Ziyad Al-Dhabba, a 74-year-old teacher at the Islamic Orphanage in Jerusalem, displayed items he has made over 54 years of experience.

Al-Dhabba noted that while imported products have caused these crafts to fade, handmade Khayzuran items remain durable and high quality compared to plastic alternatives.