The traditional practice of making a Palestinian soap, is being inscribed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization as being in need of “urgent safeguarding.” Photo courtesy of the Palestinian Ministry of Culture
The traditional practice of making a Palestinian soap is being inscribed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization as requiring “urgent safeguarding.”
Known as Nablusi soap for being made in the West Bank city of Nablus, it is one of the elements being added to the 2024 edition of UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Advertisement
The full list, revealed this week, includes eight cultural practices involving the Palestinian state. Elements on the UNESCO list are “in need of urgent safeguarding.”
Nablusi soap is made using three ingredients, olive oil, water and lye, which are all sourced locally. It is traditionally made following the olive harvest season and stored for a year before being sold or used.
“Most families in Palestine share the tradition, with both men and women taking part in all stages of the production process and children helping their parents cut and pack the soap,” UNESCO said in a statement, highlighting the cultural importance of the practice.
“The craft is passed on through hands-on practice in farms, olive presses and within families and small workshops.”
Soap-making can also be an important source of income for families in areas where there are few other alternative means of generating money. Advertisement
The U.N. agency is also adding it to the list for its social impact.
“The use of olive oil reflects people’s strong relation to nature, and many people use their homemade soap as a personal gift for celebrations such as weddings and birthdays,” the UNESCO statement reads.
