AMMAN — At the heart of Palestinian culture lies a rich tapestry of traditions that have endured the test of time. For Marihan Khoury, a lawyer, artist and therapist, preserving this heritage is a personal passion and responsibility. Through her art gallery project, Darnah (meaning “Our Home” in Arabic), Khoury is safeguarding Palestinian identity by passing on its artistic and cultural legacies to future generations.
While Khoury established her art gallery “Darnah” two and a half years ago in Wadi Nisnas, a historical neighbourhood of Haifa, the project is now flourishing in Amman. Her workshops held at Beit Shocair in Downtown Amman are dedicated to preserving heritage through handmade projects, artworks, and cultural workshops.
Khoury’s efforts are rooted in various traditional Palestinian art forms, such as Tatreez, the iconic embroidery recognised by UNESCO in 2021 as an important intangible heritage. Historically, Tatreez patterns were unique to each Palestinian village, with designs symbolising local stories, legends, and beliefs.
For Khoury, this art form is a silent yet powerful medium of expression. “Tatreez is a language that you speak to people when your voice is shut down,” Khoury said. “You can talk with people through your stitches – not speak it, but embroider it.”
Darnah’s workshops, now held monthly Beit Shocair, are open to everyone, including beginners. They focus on teaching traditional crafts like embroidery, ceramics, and calligraphy. “Even if one person comes, that is one person who will tell our story,” Khoury said. She emphasised the importance of creating physical spaces where people can engage with Palestinian culture.
For Khoury, preserving her culture is a deeply personal mission. “My grandmother was very handy and made everything by herself – dresses, cushions, mantilla, … As a child, I wanted to learn all of those skills, I was already very attached to my culture back then.”
In addition to crafts, Khoury is also preserving cultural elements such as language. She sells postcards with designs in Arabic, a deliberate choice to balance the dominance of English and Hebrew in local souvenirs of Haifa. “I feel sad for the young generations that do not speak Arabic very well and cannot relate to their culture. Language is also a very important thing to preserve : dance, food, arts, all these things are part of our culture.”
Darnah’s reach now extends beyond Haifa, with selling points in Jerusalem, Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The project has also participated in international markets and workshops in the UAE, Switzerland, and Jordan. Expanding to Amman, however, was a particularly significant step for Khoury, despite logistical challenges.
“I thought I needed to go tell our story to other people,” she explained. “We will have more workshops coming in the future – about ceramics, calligraphy, all arts related to Palestine. I want to keep this space alive in Amman.”
Khoury’s dedication to cultural preservation stems from her belief in the power of art as a medium for resilience. “Tell our story through art – that is what I do. We can put efforts to preserve and maintain what we still have, instead of crying about what we lost,” she said.
“Even if one person learns Tatreez, that is one more person who can carry it forward. We need to keep telling these stories,” she said. By combining traditional crafts with modern mediums, Khoury is ensuring that Palestinian culture remains vibrant and an enduring part of the region’s identity.
