HIRBAWI Keffiyeh Weavery

We are the Hirbawi family — proud weavers of the original Palestinian kufiya since 1961. What began as a modest workshop in Hebron became a lifelong mission: to preserve the heritage of the Palestinian people, one thread at a time.

Our founder, Yasser Hirbawi, was a visionary. In the 1950s, he travelled to Japan to find the right machinery capable of weaving the intricate double-layered structure that gives the kufiya its strength and distinctive patterns. At the time, kufiyas were mostly imported or made by hand. By adapting those industrial looms, he built what would become Palestine’s first and only kufiya factory.

For decades, we flourished. Our workshop was full of life — looms running, voices calling, patterns emerging. But things changed. With the influx of cheap imports from abroad and the growing constraints of occupation, our production declined sharply. At one point, only four of our looms remained in operation. Still, we refused to give up.

The kufiya is not just a scarf. It’s our history, our resistance, and our pride — worn by farmers, poets, freedom fighters, and people around the world who stand for dignity and justice. Each patterns and designs carry meaning. Some recall the olive trees and fishing nets. Others reflect the identity of cities like Jerusalem, Haifa, or Gaza.

Today, with the support of our global community, we are rebuilding. We’ve revived more machines. We’ve trained new artisans — some of them our own children. And we are once again exporting Palestinian kufiyas across the world, not just as garments, but as symbols of steadfastness (sumud) and cultural survival.

We weave not for fashion, but for memory.  Not only to sell, but to say: We are still here.