In the Old City of Nablus, Haj Walid Khudair (71), known as Abu Khaled, works in his carpentry shop in the Qaysariyya neighborhood. He spent over 55 years crafting wooden clogs (qabqab) since he was 15 as his family owned a workshop in Lydd since 1948.
For Abu Khaled, this craft is a significant part of Palestinian heritage. Dating back to the Fatimid and Ottoman eras, clogs were essential in homes and public bathhouses, and often included in rural bridal dowries. Abu Khaled says “This craft is about to go extinct, I am the only one practicing it still. It's a craft without a future.” As the Israelis' restrictions on cutting pine trees have made it extremely difficult.
Abu Khaled is the last carpenter making wooden clogs in Palestine. While this craft is disappearing, some mosques and traditional baths in Nablus still preserve this tradition known as Little Damascus.
