Lexicon

 A cold salad in Palestinian and Levantine cuisine primarily made of finely chopped parsley, tomatoes, mint, onions, and bulgur, dressed with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and sometimes allspice, sumac, or pomegranate molasses. An early reference to “tabbula” is found in the 13th-century Arabic cookbook by al-Baghdadi called Kitab al-Tabikh (The Book of Cooking), which describes a salad of herbs, onions, and grains. Tabbouleh is often served as part of a mezze.

See Dirbakki. 

The Israeli Land Registration Bureau, a department within the Israeli Ministry of Justice; the word tabu is a holdover from Ottoman Turkish

A traditional oven made of clay and shaped like a short cone rising out of the ground. Its external surface is covered in clay made from dry manure, while the inside is lined with small stones. The tabun’s opening is covered with an iron lid. Before use, wood is set alight inside the oven and left to burn for hours. This design maximizes heat and spreads it evenly. For centuries, the tabun has been a technology fundamental to Palestinian culinary heritage, used to bake large discs of flat yeasted bread. The bread is thrown onto the inside wall of the oven until it is done on both sides. While similar ovens are found elsewhere in the Levant and beyond, the tabun is seen as a symbol of Palestinian identity because the communal ovens were used to meet an essential daily need among what was a mostly rural agricultural population before the 1948 Nakba. Today, tabun bread is sometimes made at home in metal ovens filled with heated stones that create a similar effect.

In Islam, a voluntary night prayer or vigil. Also known as “night prayer” or qiyam al-layl, tahajjud is performed any time between the obligatory evening prayer (‘isha) and obligatory dawn prayer (fajr). However, it is ideally offered during the last third of the night. This is because Muslims believe that God’s mercy descends to the lowest realm of heaven and in answer to Muslims who are praying to God during this time. During the holy month of Ramadan, tahajjud has greater spiritual merit. For this reason, worshippers spend Ramadan nights in mosques praying and reciting the Quran until the dawn prayer.

In the musical context, refers to a small traditional ensemble that performs classical Middle Eastern and North African music. The full ensemble consists of stringed instruments—the oud, the qanun, the kamanjah—the wind instrument, the ney; and percussion in the form of the riqq and tabla/dirbakki. These traditional instruments belong to one of two families: sahb (which means “pulling” or “stretching”), and naqr (“plucking” or “hammering”). The ney is a sahb instrument, while the oud and the qanun are considered naqr. The two families complement each other within the takht, which can include two or more musicians. Another characteristic of the takht is that it plays in the maqam style, a sophisticated system of melodic modes that differs from the classical Western style of fixed scales and harmonic structures. The takht might also accompany a vocalist, as in the case of well-known classical singer Umm Kulthum.

Fringed prayer shawl worn by religious Jews during morning prayers and on Yom Kippur. Not to be confused with the tzitzit, a similar garment worn under street clothes, it is usually made of wool or cotton and draped over the shoulders or head. Traditionally, only Jewish males wore the tallit, though in some reform Jewish congregations, women also wear it.

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A series of reforms in the Ottoman Empire undertaken between 1839 and 1876 that introduced administrative measures that laid the groundwork for the modernization of the Ottoman state. Their impact on the status of Jerusalem was significant insofar as the centralized system of government that they entailed destroyed the grip of local sheikhs, introduced administrative order, and helped to establish the prominence of Jerusalem over its surrounding rural countryside. A small number of local Jerusalem families emerged as power centers in this period, notably the Khalidis and the Husaynis, and they became the new elite.

An improvised solo performance found in music from the Middle East and North Africa, performed vocally or instrumentally, in which the musician explores a specific maqam. It is typically rhythmically free and allows the performer to demonstrate technical skill, creativity, and understanding of the maqam’s melodic rules. A taqsim often serves as an introduction or interlude within a larger musical performance. 

An Arabic term commonly translated as “God-fearingness,” “piety,” or “awareness of God.” In Islamic thought, it refers to a person’s awareness of and responsibility toward God, often expressed through ethical behavior, religious observance, and avoidance of actions considered sinful. The term appears frequently in the Quran and is an important concept in Islamic theology and practice.

A heightened emotional engagement with music found in Arabic culture and associated with classical Arabic music by timeless performers such as Umm Kulthum and Fairuz. Meaning “enchantment,” tarab describes the gradual buildup of emotion as a singer lingers on a phrase, repeats a line, or alters a melody to respond to the mood of the audience. From late Ottoman times through the 1948 War, Jerusalem was part of a wider Levantine musical world including Cairo, Damascus, and Beirut, where classical Arab music flourished and local musicians, poets, and audiences cultivated tarab in private salons, cafés, and social gatherings.

A voluntary prayer performed specifically and only during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Tarawih is performed after the evening (‘isha) obligatory prayer every night of Ramadan. Tarawih is performed in sets of two rak‘as, which refers to the full cycles of prostrations in Muslim prayer. There is some debate about how many rak‘as a complete tarawih prayer consists of, with some modern opinions claiming that 8 rak‘as, and others 12, or even the more traditional 20 rak‘as are needed to complete tarawih. Breaks are taken between each pair of two rak‘as. Muslim men and women congregate in mosques to perform this prayer guided by an imam. Long portions of the Quran are read during tarawih prayers. As the prayer is a long one, Muslims view tarawih as a means of developing a stronger connection with God and asking for forgiveness and blessings. The communal prayer also provides a sense of unity to Muslim communities from all walks of life, in all geographic locations. 

A traditional brimless, conical hat, usually made of red felt with a black silk tassel attached to the top. While tarboosh is often used interchangeably with the word fez, there are subtle differences between the two hats. A tarboosh is usually taller and stiffer than the typical fez. Fez is also more common in the Western world and comes from the city of Fez in Morocco, which was historically a center of production for the red felt used in the hat. In the Middle East, North Africa, and other areas formerly under the Ottoman Empire, people usually call the hat by its Arabic name, tarboosh, rather than fez. 

Arabic term for land settlement, a precise, multi-step professional process undertaken to formalize the land’s status, specifically: surveying the land to determine its precise location, area, and borders, and allocating it to a designated owner(s) or user(s)

A traditional Palestinian embroidery art, known for its intricate and colorful designs, typically stitched onto clothing, accessories, and household items. 

Practiced for centuries, it holds profound cultural and historical significance. 

The patterns often feature geometric shapes, floral motifs, and symbols representing specific regions, tribes, or social statuses, with each design telling its own story. 

The embroidery is primarily done using cross-stitch and other techniques on fabrics like linen or cotton. Traditional tatreez employs bright and vibrant colors, predominantly red and black, though contemporary pieces may use a broader palette. 

Beyond its aesthetic appeal, tatreez symbolizes Palestinian identity and heritage, serving as a means to preserve and pass down cultural traditions through generations. 

The General Secondary Education Certificate Examination in several Arab countries. 

Tawjihi is a crucial examination taken by students at the end of their secondary education. The results of the Tawjihi exams determine a student’s eligibility for higher education and university admissions.

The exam covers a variety of subjects, and students usually specialize in either scientific or literary streams, known as ‘ilmi or adabi, respectively. 

The exam is known for being highly competitive and rigorous, with a significant impact on students’ future educational and career opportunities.

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An Israeli law that limits the protection of tenants who rented properties before 1968 to the third generation of descendants. The tenancy contracts for these specific properties included a clause under Jordanian law that protected the tenant and their descendants from eviction as long as they were paying rent on time. Effectively, the application of the Third Generation Law meant that Israel could now seize the property following the death of third-generation tenants. If a grandfather (first generation) passes on his rented property to his son (second generation), and the son, in turn, passes it on to his son (third generation), the protection of the property is lifted after the death of this grandson and immediately returns to the owner. 

Because of this law, Israel is able to seize more land and property in East Jerusalem, especially in its Old City, where tenants have been renting for generations. Over 300 Palestinian Jerusalemites have been forcibly expelled following the implementation of this law, with hundreds more under threat of losing their homes. 

A garment traditionally worn by men in the Middle East and North Africa, but now also in India and other parts of Africa. On a basic level, a thobe is a long-sleeved, loose-fitting robe-like garment that reaches just above the ankles. However, today, thobes come in a variety of styles, materials, and regional variations. 

In Palestine, thobes are often collarless and buttoned down to mid-chest. They can be complemented by a belt and the kufiyyeh. Women wear a variation of this dress, which they also call a thobe, that is embroidered at the front and the sleeves with the iconic Palestinian tatreez. Different regions of Palestine have traditionally had their own distinct embroidery patterns and stitches, such as the Jerusalem pattern, the Bethlehem pattern, the Gaza pattern, etc. 

The thobe, especially its ankle length, is considered a Prophetic practice (sunna), and many men choose to wear it to the Friday congregational prayer at the mosque, although it is also worn for both casual and formal occasions in different countries. It exemplifies modest and humble dress for men according to the Muslim tradition. 

Usually associated with Islam, Muslims all over the world now don the thobe, either for religious occasions or as their regular attire.