In a workshop in an infamous refugee camp in Beirut, Palestinian women practice an ancient art form — as a livelihood, and also as therapy. The designs come from a homeland most have never seen.

Tatreez embroidery has been an integral part of the Palestinian identity. Today, young Palestinians are striving to revive this centuries-old art, blending traditional techniques with modern design.

Hanan Zarura (right) gives instructions to an employee at her embroidery workshop in a Palestinian refugee camp in Beirut, Lebanon, on Dec. 2, 2024. Dalia Khamissy for NPR.

Exhibition of Palestinian dress and embroidery to open at V&A Dundee - Thread Memory: Embroidery From Palestine explores how ...

All the embroidery is the handwork of Palestinian women. Yamamoto visited Palestine for the first time in 2013. She joined a local tour that her friend Siam recommended.

Hanan Zarura, a master craftswoman of Palestinian tatreez embroidery, with a jacket she's been making at her workshop in the Palestinian refugee camp of Shatila, in Beirut, Lebanon.

In a workshop in an infamous refugee camp in Beirut, Palestinian women practice an ancient art form — as a livelihood, and also as therapy. The designs come from a homeland most have never seen.

In a workshop in an infamous refugee camp in Beirut, Palestinian women practice an ancient art form — as a livelihood, and also as therapy. The designs come from a homeland most have never seen.

Hanan Zarura, a master craftswoman of Palestinian tatreez embroidery, with a jacket she's been making at her workshop in the Palestinian refugee camp of Shatila, in Beirut, Lebanon.