Featuring groups of costumes, representing towns and villages in the areas around Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Ramallah, Al-Khalil, Majdal, Gaza, Jaffa, Galilee and the Naqab desert, this very well-received 35-minute video documentary examines Palestinian dress from antiquity through the Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Arab and Ottoman Turkish periods up to the 20th century.

In it, a distinct series of resemblances is revealed that link present-day Palestinian costumes to Canaanite spinning, weaving and dyeing tradition that evolved into a generalized Mediterranean style in the Graeco-Roman period.

Also included is a short summary of the fascinating historical development of textile arts and embroidery in the Arab world, containing photographs of surviving pieces of ancient textiles from the Middle East on display in European and American museums.

Devoting considerable attention to detailed close-ups of stitches and patterns, the video looks at the impact of environment on such motifs. Viewers interested in copying the patterns are enabled to do so thanks to the close-up enlargements.

The video is $25.

To order contact the

Palestinian Heritage Foundation

P.O. Box 1018, West Caldwell, NJ 07006

E-mail: palherf@aol.com

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