Keffieh - Palestinian scarf

The keffiyeh (or keffi, from Arabic: كوفية, kūfīyä) is the traditional headdress of peasants and Bedouins. It made it possible to distinguish between urban and rural dwellers. Today, the keffiyeh is carried by the entire Arab population of the Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, Jordan and Syria. The keffiyeh has become the emblem of the Palestinians. Coming from the region formerly known as "al-Hijaz", "al-Iraq", "al-Yaman", "Accham" and "Filistin", it has become so widespread that it has become an element of costume common to all Bedouins and farmers in Arabia and the Middle East.

Made of fabric, it was originally used to mask the face to protect against the sun and sandstorms. There are different patterns and colours that vary from yellow to black, red, white and green.

During the popular uprising led by Izz al-Din al-Qassam, from 1936 onwards, against the British presence in Palestine, the keffiyeh was of vital importance to the Palestinians. Indeed, the revolutionaries then wore the keffiyeh, which was used to protect their faces and not to be recognized by the British. But this obviously made them more visible in the cities and arrests multiplied, the bearers of the keffiyeh being considered as opponents. It was then that the entire population was called upon to wear the keffiyeh. The city dwellers abandoned the tarbouche (a sign of social distinction) to wear the keffiyeh, which was, as written above, a peasant headdress.

It was popularized by Yasser Arafat in the 1960s when he became known as the leader of the PLO. Although the PLO has (at least officially) abandoned its armed resistance and terrorist activities for several decades, the Keffiyeh has remained the most important symbol of Palestinian activists. Its port is therefore often likened to support for the Palestinian cause.

For Palestinians, its color now indicates the faction to which the carrier refers (Hamas, Fatah, PFLP...).

The dimensions are 83X83 cm