AMANI ALBAHRI IS THE FOUNDER OF TANTURA AND A THOBE COLLECTOR WHOSE WORK CENTERS PALESTINIAN MEMORY AND MATERIAL CULTURE (@TANTURA.CO). Through stories of her family and her collection, Amani offers a powerful reminder that thobes are not just garments—they are vessels of story, survival, and identity. Her reflections sparked deep conversations about what it means to embed yourself in a thobe, not just understand what was embedded by others.
One of the most moving takeaways was the story of Amani’s grandmother making diwali while recounting her experience of the Nakba—transforming painful memories into ritual and connection. The act of repetition, storytelling, and hands-on creation became a form of healing and legacy. This is why Tatreez Talk exists: to make space for these stories, and to show that embroidery is just one of many ways we carry culture.
Not everyone connects to stitching, and that’s okay. This episode highlights how collecting, admiring, and learning about thobes can be just as meaningful. Whether through thread or through storytelling, connecting to Palestinian history and resilience is available to us all.
Check out the tantura.co website!
You’ll hear about:
>> 0:57: Amani’s connection to Palestine
>> 5:56: The stories of Amani’s grandparents
>> 12:43: How tatreez showed up for Amani
>> 16:35: Collecting thobes
>> 31:14: Advice for Palestinians in diaspora who want to rescue our thobes
>> 34:00: Tantura thobe exhibits and how to collaborate with her
>> 44:39: Major life lesson from tatreez
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