February 21, 2025

What is the symbolism of the keffiyeh patterns?

Know what your keffiyeh stands for 

It's not just a scarf, it has its meanings and a long history dating back to Mesopotamia (3100 BC). Today, we wear the keffiyeh to represent Palestine everywhere we go and to stand in solidarity with our righteous cause and it's people. 

In previous articles we covered the history of the keffiyeh, we also answered in another post the question if it's okay for non-Arabs to wear the keffiyeh and when is it considered cultural appropriation.

Wearing your keffiyeh, it's important to know the history and culture behind it but also to know what the patterns on the keffiyeh stand for, and how is that part of the Palestinian culture and the people of Palestine. 

What does the keffiyeh represent?

What do the patterns on the keffiyeh scarf symbolize?

The keffiyeh consists of three main patterns in it's design

Fishnet: The larger part of the of the keffiyeh is the fishnet pattern which resembles the fishnet, and the relationship between the Palestinian fisherman and the sea. It symbolizes abundance and grace. 


To many of us the sea also means Freedom. Especially to Palestinians living in the West Bank, and have no access to the sea, due to restricted movement. 


Sea Waves: Resemble the strength, and resilience of our communities which persevered after 73 years under military occupation and oppression. 


Some posts on social media wrote that the resemblance come from the olive leaves which is also an important symbol, but after a conversation with the Judeh Hirbawi from Hirbawi Factory in Hebron he said that it comes from sea waves.


Bold: Represents the trade routes going through Palestine which played a vital role in carving the history and rich and diverse culture of our communities. 

Go to Keffiyeh Collection | 20+ Keffiyeh Styles

This blogpost was inspired by a trending post about the keffiyeh patterns on social media which spread during May,2021




Written by Morgan Cooper