The culture of Palestine is influenced by the many diverse cultures and religions which have existed in the historical region of Palestine. The cultural and linguistic heritage of Palestinian Arabs along with Lebanese, Syrians, and Jordanians is integral part of Levantine Arab culture. Palestinians also have their own dialect of Arabic, the Palestinian dialect.
Cultural contributions to the fields of art, literature, music, costume and cuisine express the Palestinian identity despite the geographical separation between the Palestinians from the Palestinian territories, Palestinian citizens of Israel and Palestinians in the diaspora.
Palestinian culture consists of food, dance, legends, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, customs, and comprising the traditions (including oral traditions) of Palestinian culture. The folklorist revival among Palestinian intellectuals such as Nimr Sirhan, Musa Allush, Salim Mubayyid, and others emphasized pre-Islamic cultural roots.
Palestine's significant intangible cultural heritage has been recognised by UNESCO, with a first inscription for Palestinian hikaye made in 2008 to its list of intangible cultural heritage. This was followed by a further listing in 2021 for Palestinian embroidery, folk dance dabke in 2023, Nabulsi soap in 2024, as well as joint listings with other Arab States for calligraphy, knowledge and use of the date palm, metal engraving arts and practices and the art of henna.
Traditional wear
Foreign travelers to Palestine in the late 19th and early 20th centuries often commented on the rich variety of traditional clothing among the Palestinian people, and particularly among the fellaheen or village women. Until the 1940s, a woman's economic status, whether married or single, and the town or area they were from could be deciphered by most Palestinian women by the type of cloth, colors, cut, and embroidery motifs, or lack thereof, used for the robe-like dress or "thoub" in Arabic.
The 1948 Palestinian expulsion and flight led to a disruption in traditional modes of dress and customs, as many women who had been displaced could no longer afford the time or money to invest in complex embroidered garments. New styles began to appear the 1960s. For example, the "six-branched dress" named after the six wide bands of embroidery running down from the waist.Weir, Shelagh (1989) Palestinian Costume. British Museum. . p. 112. These styles came from the refugee camps, particularly after 1967. Individual village styles were lost and replaced by an identifiable "Palestinian" style.Skinner, Margarita (2007) Palestinian Embroidery Motives. A Treasury of Stitches 1850-1950. Melisende. . p. 21. The shawal, a style popular in the West Bank and Jordan before the First Intifada, probably evolved from one of the many welfare embroidery projects in the refugee camps. It was a shorter and narrower fashion, with a western cut.Weir, Shelagh (1989) Palestinian Costume. British Museum. . pp. 88, 113. The keffiyeh, also known as "hattah", is a traditional black and white headdress worn by Palestinian farmers. Since the Arab Revolt of the 1930s, it has become a prominent symbol of Palestinian resistance in the Israeli Palestinian conflict.
In 2021 Palestinian embroidery was inscribed to UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage.
Dance
Dabke (), is a folk dance that originates from the Levant. It is popular in Palestinian culture and many other cultures in the Levant, and many troupes perform the dance throughout the world. The Dabke is marked by synchronized jumping, stamping, and movement, similar to tap dancing.
Folk tales
Traditional storytelling among Palestinians is prefaced with an invitation to the listeners to give blessings to God and the Prophet Mohammed or the Virgin Mary as the case may be, and includes the traditional opening: "There was, in the oldness of time ..." Formulaic elements of the stories share much in common with the wider Arab world, though the rhyming scheme is distinct. There are a cast of supernatural characters: Jinss and Djinns who can cross the Seven Seas in an instant, giants, and ghouls with eyes of ember and teeth of brass.
Palestinian folk tales often include stories and anecdotes about Saint George, the patron saint of Palestine. For instance, one story from the village of Ein Karem includes a visit from Saint George during a drought. Oftentimes, folk tales of Saint George are a source of endurance and hope for Palestinians, both Muslim and Christian.
Palestinian hikaye is a form of women's oral literature that addresses social questions. Performed in winter, older women address the stories to younger women and children. In 2008 it was inscribed to UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage.
Music
Traditional Palestinian songs have no set lyrics but rather a set rhythm to them, allowing for improvised folk poetry lyrics. A form of this style of folk singing is Ataaba; it consists of 4 verses, following a specific form and meter. The distinguishing feature of ataaba is that the first three verses end with the same word meaning three different things, and the fourth verse serves as a conclusion. The Ataaba continues to be performed at weddings and festivals in Arab localities in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Other traditional Palestinian song styles include zajal, Bein Al-dawai, Al-Rozana, Zarif – Al-Toul, Al-Maijana, Sahja/Saamir and Zaghareed.
Over three decades, the Palestinian National Music and Dance Troupe (El Funoun) and Mohsen Subhi have reinterpreted and rearranged traditional wedding songs such as Mish'al (1986), Marj Ibn 'Amer (1989) and Zaghareed (1997).
Theater Palestinian theater resembles other Arab theaters, but differs significantly because of the history of the area and its people. It came about with difficulty and was initially focused inward, but has since grown into a distinct cultural practice. Marie Elias, in the Interactive Encyclopedia of the Palestine Question, recognizes three different stages. Palestinian theater started in the "context of a cultural renaissance" across the Levant and particularly in the 1920s, with productions based on Arab texts or translated European plays. A second period a "rebirth" occurred in the late 1960s, and after the Six-Day War of 1967 "a clear, but uncoordinated, desire was expressed, both within Palestine and abroad, to develop theater with a Palestinian identity", according to Elias. A notable group from that period is the Balalin Theater Troupe, which had started in 1970 as the Theater Family troupe. A third period started in 1993, after the Oslo Agreement, which saw a professionalization in the West Bank, though developments in the Gaza Strip were much more difficult.
Architecture
Traditional Palestinian architecture covers a vast historical time frame and a number of different styles and influences over the ages. The urban architecture of Palestine prior to 1850 was relatively sophisticated. While it belonged to greater geographical and cultural context of the Levant and the Arab world, it constituted a distinct tradition, "significantly different from the traditions of Syria, Lebanon or Egypt." Nonetheless, the Palestinian townhouse shared in the same basic conceptions regarding the arrangement of living space and apartment types commonly seen throughout the Eastern Mediterranean. The rich diversity and underlying unity of the architectural culture of this wider region stretching from the Balkans to North Africa was a function of the exchange fostered by the caravans of the trade routes, and the extension of Ottoman rule over most of this area, beginning in the early 16th century through until the end of World War I.Ron Fuchs in Necipoğlu, 1998, p. 173.
Sports
Palestinian athletes have competed at every Olympic Games since the 1996 Summer Olympics. The Palestinian Olympic committee did not work with the Israeli Olympic committee to train for the 2012 Olympic games, and participation in the 2013 Mediterranean Games.
Games inherited from the Ottoman era were the starting point of Palestinian sports during the British Mandate. These games included horse racing, running, wrestling and swimming. However, football gained popularity over time.
The true beginning of the phenomenon of establishing social-athletic clubs in Palestine can be traced to the early twentieth century, specifically the 1920s. Since that time, sports – especially football – had become a social tradition; a pivotal part of Palestinian culture. Many of these clubs were established as social-cultural clubs.
Only a few clubs were established solely as athletic, while the majority emerged as social and later adopted athletic activities. By 1948, there were some 65 athletic clubs in Palestine; approximately 55 of them were members of the Arab Palestine Sports Federation (APSF) which was established in 1931 and re-established in 1944. These clubs had a tremendous impact on the lives of Palestinian young people, shaping their character and preparing them for social and political involvement.
There is a West Bank Premier League, and Gaza Strip League. The Palestine national football team played Afghanistan in the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. They visited Australia for the 2015 AFC Asian Cup.
The Beit Jala Lions is a West Bank Rugby Union team.
The Turmus Aya Equestrian Club, established in 2007, is a riding club dedicated to the mission of providing affordable access to horses for Palestinians. Ashraf Rabi, the founder, maintains that "this is part of the development of Palestine. Horses are a big part of our Arab culture and we must embrace it."
Palestinian art
Similar to the structure of Palestinian society, the Palestinian field of arts extends over three main geographic centers: the West Bank and Gaza Strip the Palestinian diaspora in the Arab world Europe, the United States and elsewhere.
Contemporary Palestinian art finds its roots in folk art and traditional Christian and Islamic painting. After the 1948 Palestinian expulsion and flight, nationalistic themes have predominated as Palestinian artists use diverse media to express and explore their connection to identity and land.Ankori, 1996. In the 1990s Salam Dyab, Hisham Zreiq, Issa Dibe and others began to adopt modern styles and symbolism.
Modern cuisine
Palestine's history of rule by many different empires is reflected in Palestinian cuisine, which has benefited from various cultural contributions and exchanges. Generally speaking, modern Palestinian dishes have been influenced by the rule of three major Islamic groups: the Arabs, the Persian-influenced Arabs, and the Turks.Revisiting our table... Nasser, Christiane Dabdoub, This week in Palestine, Turbo Computers & Software Co. Ltd. June 2006. Retrieved 2008-01-08. The original Bedouin Arabs in Syria and Palestine had simple culinary traditions primarily based on the use of rice, lamb and yogurt, as well as dates.ABC of Arabic Cuisine ArabNet. Retrieved 2007-12-25.