Art and Culture

There are thousands of different cultures in the world. Each one has a particular and distinct way of living. Each culture is defined by its art, its language, its folklore, the poems and pictures of each decade, and the basic beliefs of the culture. No one culture is without the influence of another. You may have already taken a look at other cultures around the world, and now you can experience one like no other...the Palestinian culture.

You have just found the gateway to the most talanted and creative artists of Palestine. You can read some of the wonderful modern day poetry of Mahmoud Darwish, May Sayigh, Ghassan Zaqton, Taha Mohammed Ali, Ahmed Dahbour, and Fadwa Tuqan to name just a few.

Or you can look at some of the visual artists of Palestine such as Issam Bader, Samira Badran, Tayseer Barakat, Mona Hattoum, Samia Halaby, and Jumana El-Husseini. These talented Palestinians work with various mediums such as the conventional oils, paints, and ceramics, while others have experimented with locally found mediums such as staw, clay, henna, and leather. But all the artists create from within their hearts. Take a look at how they view their heritage through their art.

Besides looking at the art, you can take a look at the culture that molds and shapes the day to day living. You can see the ways of traditional living and how Palestinians celebrate the various occasions of their lives. Whether it is a wedding, or a celebration for a newly acclaimed goal, more than likely debka, a traditional folkdance, was part of the festivities. Take a look at pictures of debka and see how this is very much a part of Palestinian celebration.

Afterwards you can look at some of the traditional dress of the locals, as well as as some of the traditional day to day utensils used to make such things as olive oil, bread, and clothing.