Edinburgh's Festival of Palestine includes exhibition of history tapestry

A selection of hand-made panels from an 80-metre long tapestry will be on display in Edinburgh for the next week as part of a festival celebrating 4,000 years of Palestinian history.

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The Palestinian History Tapestry consists of 101 panels, made exclusively by Palestinian women in Gaza, West Bank, Jerusalem, Naqab, Jordan and Lebanon, illustrating aspects of the land and peoples of Palestine from Neolithic times to the present.

The exhibition is a key element of the week-long Festival of Palestine, which runs October 9-16, at St Columba’s-by-the Castle Church in Johnston Terrace, featuring Palestinian artistry, live traditional music, dabke dancing, food, film shows, an award-winning photographic exhibition, lectures and children’s activities.

Mosaic at Khirbet El-Mafjar, 734 CE Image: Palestine History Tapestry website

The free event is hosted by Palestine History Tapestry, Edinburgh Action 4 Palestine and Palestinians in Scotland

The official opening at 11am today is already sold out, but other Saturday highlights are “Free the Spirit”, a exhibition by prize-winning photographer Mahmoud Al Khurd, and a film “Said the Dove to the Olive Tree”, which will be followed by a panel discussion.

Palestinian food and Arabic coffee will be available and there will be Oud playing and dabke dancing.

Sunday at 2pm sees Carol Morton reflecting on Palestinian tapestry, followed by a film “Stitching Palestine”.

Olive harvest Image: Palestine History Tapestry website

A lecture by Tariq Ali about Edward Said will be broadcast live online on Wednesday at 6.30pm.

Children’s activities will take place on Thursday, 1.30-4pm.

Next Saturday’s programme includes a talk at noon by Andrew Crummy, illustrator of the Great Tapestry of Scotland, and a film at 2.15pm “In conversation” with Jan Chalmers, originator of the Palestinian History Tapestry.

There will also be a stall of Palestinian crafts from Hadeel.

Port of Jaffa Image: Palestine History Tapestry website

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