Baituna al-Talhami Museum facts for kids
The Baituna al-Talhami Museum (which means "Our Bethlehem Home Museum" in Arabic) is a special place in Bethlehem, Palestine. It's also known as the Bethlehem Folklore Museum. You can find it on Star Street, near Pope Paul VI Street.
This museum is designed to look like a traditional Palestinian home from the 1800s. Inside, you can see old pictures, traditional clothes, and beautiful jewelry. You'll also find the tools people used to make these items long ago.
The Museum's Story
The museum's story began in 1948. The Arab Women's Union (AWU), led by Julia Dabdoub, first set up a center. This center helped Palestinian refugees who had to leave their homes. It provided them with food and a place to learn traditional embroidery. This embroidery helped them earn money.
Later, in 1979, the AWU officially opened the museum. It started with two old houses built in the traditional Palestinian style. These houses had a kitchen, a main living room called a diwan, a bedroom, and an upper floor called an illeyeh. The museum displayed many traditional household items. More items were added when families in Bethlehem donated their old belongings. This helped save many historical pieces from being lost.
In 1984, the museum grew even bigger. It added another old house next door that had been carefully fixed up. Julia Dabdoub believed this new house was very special. She said it was one of the few real old houses left in Bethlehem.
Julia Dabdoub also made a big donation in 1992. She gave her collection of photos, furniture, and art that she had gathered over forty years. These items helped decorate the upper room, or "al-Illiyeh." This room now shows what life was like for people in Bethlehem between 1900 and 1932.
More Than Just a Museum
Even though Baituna al-Talhami is a museum, it still helps people today. It provides jobs for refugees. The museum also hosts fun festivals. These events celebrate Palestinian artists, poets, and writers. It's a place where history and community come together.
See also
In Spanish: Museo folclórico de Belén para niños
- List of museums in Palestine
- Al-Badd Museum for Olive Oil Production
