Maʿlūlā Skirt

This skirt is named after Maʿlūlā, a mountain village built into limestone cliffs northeast of Damascus. Maʿlūlā is one of the few places in the world where Western Aramaic, the language once spoken across the region, is still used in daily life. Families there carried that language through conversation, prayer, and storytelling, passing it from parent to child for generations. In 2013, Maʿlūlā was overtaken during the war. Homes and monasteries were damaged. Ancient icons and manuscripts were lost. Several nuns were taken hostage, and many residents were displaced. For months, the sound of Aramaic - a language tied to memory, identity, and history - was nearly absent from the village. When families returned, rebuilding was slow. Stone walls were repaired by hand. Doors were lifted back into place. Religious communities restored chapels and preserved what had survived. The work was not just about construction, but about continuing a language and a way of life. This skirt honors that re