On Our Final "Virtual Route 66" For 2023: Some Uplifting News

 As 2023 is coming to a close, our team chose some uplifting news out of the Middle East courtesy of the team at the National as we look forward to being of service in the new year:

The Hirbawi factory in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron - the last Palestinian factory producing the keffiyeh. Reuters

This week’s collection of beshara led to a little trip down memory lane – all the way back to a big adventure across the world via all modes of transport including a plane, a bullet train and a charming mountainside cable car.

Years ago, when I was young and lucky enough to take myself off travelling with friends, I found myself standing in wonder atop the Unesco World Heritage site Mount Koya in Japan. I was about to spend the night in a temple learning about the ancient Shingon form of Buddhism.

In that awe-struck moment, a pair of Japanese women – themselves tourists to the site, travelling the same journey – asked to have a photograph of me in front of the Unesco sign. It surprised and amused me but I happily smiled while they clicked away.

Why did this pop into my head?

Well, this week many of our stories – incidentally – have a central theme of culture and heritage. Some are about physical locations granted heritage status and others are about intangible cultural identities and traditions that have been critical in spreading powerful messages, providing catharsis or creating a shared understanding across cultures.

And back to that moment you certainly didn’t ask about – while I can’t be sure why I was requested to pose for the photo it strikes me that ultimately our collective efforts to see, preserve or create heritage are about finding connections with people from all walks and times of life.

Best wishes always,

Nicola Leech

Do you have beshara to share? Email newsletters@thenationalnews.com

Weaving through war and hardship

Teacher Eltifat Khrejan Lafta established a weaving workshop to preserve the traditional art of Iraqi kilim. Photo: Eltifat Khrejan Lafta

From kilim to keffiyeh and damask, so many nations across the Middle East have a hallmark tapestry with weave patterns as complex as their history. This week we have been rich with stories exploring the prevailing power of these traditions.

The Hirbawi factory, founded in 1961, is the last Palestinian factory in the West Bank that is producing authentic keffiyeh. The National happened to visit earlier this year before the Israel-Gaza war broke out. In her report, Sarah Maisey described it as “the last outpost of an invaluable piece of Palestinian culture”.

We have since returned and Joudeh Hirbawi, the factory’s owner told us demand for his garments from all over the world has surged since October: “People are willing to wait up to six months, not because our keffiyeh is a work of art,” he says. “It’s a matter of solidarity.” Read more here.

Sinan Mahmoud, meanwhile, recently visited a weaving workshop in Al Muthana in Iraq, where an inspirational woman has been “threading resilience and hope into the fabric of her local community” through the famous brightly-coloured Iraqi kilim.

Eltifat Khrejan Lafta told him she “wanted to create a space where not only the ancient art would be revived but also the spirit of those who have endured so much in their life”. It has since been attracting and healing women from as far as the Gulf and Europe. Read more and see the beautiful patterns here.

QUOTED

'I think the actual art is the field research, the work that we did replacing people's curtains, and all the encounters and stories I collected'

– Lebanese artist Jad El Khoury on his latest installation, Soft Shields, in which he has turned balcony curtains damaged by the blast in Beirut into artistic symbols of collective healing

'Extraordinary historical significance'

Old areas of Baghdad are being restored in efforts to preserve the ancient city's cultural identity.

Painstaking work to repair historical buildings has begun in the old town of Baghdad.

“These buildings have extraordinary value,” architect Mohammed Alsoufi told us, noting their architectural detail.

The plan is to revive 16 buildings, in the latest of several projects restoring ancient heritage sites across the country after decades of conflict. See for yourself here and read about some of the many other restoration missions here.

Over in the UAE, two archaeologically significant sites in Sharjah have been added to the Islamic World Heritage list. The Mleiha site and Al Dhaid Fort, which includes Falaj, have been recognised for their historical and archaeological significance. Read more here.

SNAPSHOT

Rain Wu's One with Soil, One with Cloud installation is part of the Manar Abu Dhabi light exhibition across Abu Dhabi. Khushnum Bhandari.

Now to a natural heritage treasured in the UAE – our photographer Khushnum Bhandari perfectly captured the ethereal essence of Rain Wu’s One with Soil, One with Cloud light installation at Jubail Mangrove Park in Abu Dhabi.

It’s part of a stunning series of public art projects across the city – and is the perfect picture to celebrate the emirate’s mangrove milestone.

This week authorities announced they have planted 44 million of the carbon-capturing eco-champion trees since 2020. The effort is part of an initiative to plant 100 million mangroves by 2030.

And please do look out for a story that’s in the works as I type – one of our readers played a huge part in mangrove conservation in the country and he says the actual number of plants cultivated in the emirate since the 1990s takes that figure tens of millions higher. You’ll find that on our site in the coming days.

See some of this week's most captivating pictures here

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HIGHLIGHTS

	Sand-to-sea tracks installed to boost disabled access at Abu Dhabi beaches
	Photo essay: How Pirates Surf Rescue changes children's lives
	Prada breaks the mould with ethical gold and lab-grown diamonds