Traditional Palestinian soap 'Nablusi' inducted into UNESCO cultural heritage list

The hand-crafted soap is made of three ingredients: olive oil, water, and lye, and practitioners make the soap shortly after the olive harvest. 

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF DECEMBER 5, 2024 16:44

A Palestinian family making Nabulsi soap at home: Mr Khaled Omar Diab and his wife, Mrs Ferial Daoud, from Mazre' Al-Nobani village. (photo credit: Palestinian Ministry of Culture/UNESCO)

Nablusi, a traditional Palestinian soap, was inscribed into UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, the UN agency announced on Tuesday. 

The hand-crafted soap is made of three ingredients: olive oil, water, and lye, and practitioners make the soap shortly after the olive harvest. 

Families add their unique stamp before packaging and storing the soap for one year, UNESCO said. 

Tradition involving entire families

Several Palestinian families partake in this tradition, with men, women, and children assisting in the production process, including cutting and packing the soap. 

The practice is a source of income for families, and many people use their homemade soap as a personal gift for celebrations, notably weddings and birthdays, as well as gifts for visitors to take home. 

BREAKINGNew inscription on the #IntangibleHeritage List: Tradition of Nablusi soap making in #Palestine.Congratulations!https://t.co/NrLCcg15Sf #LivingHeritage pic.twitter.com/Vw3dMWKcmA

— UNESCO ️ #Education #Sciences #Culture (@UNESCO) December 3, 2024

The nineteenth session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage will take place in Asuncion, Paraguay, from December 2 to December 7, 2024, UNESCO announced. 

The opening ceremony took place this past Sunday.