The Hirbawi factory and its artisans have woven the authentic Kufiya since 1961. They promote local and ethical Palestinian trade in a step towards the self-determination and liberation of the Palestinian people.
For generations, the kufiya has stood as a symbol of resilience and identity for the Palestinian people. But today, mass production and market pressures have flooded the region with cheaply made imitations, weakening support for local artisans. With limited access to resources and increasing global barriers to trade, traditional kufiya production has sharply declined—putting this cultural craft and the livelihoods it supports at risk.
Keeping tradition alive, Hirbawi Kufiya is now the only kufiya still being actively produced in Palestine and has been since Yasser Hirbawi opened this historic factory in 1961.
PRESERVING TRADITION
Each Kufiya headdress is handmade using a specific cross-stitching technique developed over decades. Only a handful of people still know these time-honoured techniques that are honed over many generations.
The kufiya is traditionally woven on two layers, the “base”, and the “pattern” or “flower” ( وردة) in Arabic. The looms must be monitored constantly. The threads between the patterns are cut manually while the machine is running. After the roll of Kufiyas is woven by our machines, they are sewn into individual Kufiyas and the iconic tassels are added.
EST. 1961
Heritage in Every Thread
The Palestinian keffiyeh is a powerful symbol of identity, heritage, and perseverance. Woven into its threads are generations of history, culture, and the enduring connection of the Palestinian people to their land.
