Standing Olive Wood Palestine Map — Arabic & English City Names

Standing Olive Wood Palestine Map — Hand-Carved in Bethlehem

Safad. Haifa. Yafa. Jerusalem. Bethlehem. Gaza. Hebron. The names are cut into the olive wood twice — once in Arabic, once in English — across the whole of historic Palestine. The cities that are still standing, and the ones that were emptied.

This map is carved in Bethlehem, in the occupied West Bank, by Blessings Giftshop. The Giacaman family has worked olive wood there since 1925, a few steps from the Church of the Nativity — three generations, one craft, one city that has been walled in and kept carving anyway.

Olive wood takes over a century to mature. It is pruned by hand, dried slowly, and worked by someone who has spent his life learning what it can hold. The grain runs differently through every piece, so no two maps are the same.

It comes with a removable layered base. Set it on a desk, a shelf, a mantel.

Product Details

• Dimensions: 28.5 cm × 8 cm (11.2 in × 3.1 in)
• Includes: Olive wood Palestine map + removable display base
• Engraving: City names in Arabic and English
• Material: 100% natural Palestinian olive wood, sustainably harvested
• Finish: Hand-sanded, smooth
• Care: Dust with a dry cloth. Occasionally rub with a food-safe mineral oil to keep the grain from drying out.
• Origin: Bethlehem, West Bank, Palestine

Why You'll Love It

• Made in Bethlehem, not made about it. Carved in the West Bank by Palestinian hands, not manufactured elsewhere and labelled Palestinian.
• Both languages, equal weight. Arabic and English side by side, on every city.
• Stands anywhere. The removable base means no wall, no hooks, no drilling.
• One of a kind. Olive wood is known for its swirling grain and honey tones. Yours will not match the photo exactly.

Made by Blessings Giftshop

The Giacaman family has been carving olive wood in Bethlehem since 1925. Founded by Elias Giacaman, the workshop now runs through his son Jiries and grandson Bassem. It sits in old Bethlehem, near the Church of the Nativity and the Milk Grotto.

This purchase puts money directly into their workshop. Nothing in between.

A Note on Handmade Goods

Every map is cut from a different piece of olive wood. The grain, tone, and colour will vary from the photographs — that is the material, not a difference in quality. Dimensions are approximate.