Soap-Factories in Nablus ; Soap-Factories in Nablus: Palestinian Heritage (turâth) at the Local Level

Abstract

Heritage in Palestine has always been intertwined with political issues, in reaction to colonization or linked with the struggle against Israeli occupation. This article questions the various scales (national, local.) of Palestinian heritage through the example of a particular item of Palestinian culture: soap factories in Nablus. After the destruction by the Israeli army of two soap factories in Nablus in 2002, a new interest has been raised and gave birth to a new discourse on these buildings as icons of Palestinian national heritage. My article questions this new discourse by comparing it to local practices of heritage in Nablus. I argue that the links between soap factories and Palestinian heritage oscillate between local anchorage and affirmation of national identity.