Nabulsi soap

Nabulsi soap was traditionally made by women for household use, even before the appearance of small soap-making factories in the 10th century.

[2][3] Trade with Bedouins was indispensable for soap-making, both in Nablus and Hebron, since they alone could furnish the alkaline soda (qilw) required by the process.

[4] By the 14th century a significant soap-making industry had developed in Nablus and the soap, reputedly prized by Queen Elizabeth I of England,[2] was exported throughout the Middle East and Europe.

Due to the physical and economic obstacles we face now because of the Israeli occupation – and especially the checkpoints – we produce barely half that amount today.

The compound is made by mixing the powdered ashes of the barilla plant (qilw), which grows along the banks of the River Jordan, with locally supplied lime (sheed).

After setting, it is cut into the classic cube shape of Nabulsi soap and stamped with the company's trademark seal.

The soap cubes then undergo a drying process that can last from three months to a year, and involves stacking them in ceiling-high structures resembling cones with hollow centers that allow the air to circulate around them.