About Bayyāra
Who We Are
Bayyāra was established in 2024 by Noor, a Palestinian from Gaza, and Matt, a Kiwi from Nelson.
What We Do
We sell Hebron ceramics, Nablus soap, extra virgin olive oil, traditional embroidery, and other products of cultural significance to Palestinians.
Why We Do It
Our mission is to support the Palestinian economy, and to help Kiwis do the same by purchasing products made in Palestine.
A land of milk and honey.
To tell our story properly, we need to go back to the beginning.
Everyone has heard that Gaza is one of the most densely populated places on earth, but it wasn't always like that.
Before the nakba (catastrophe) of 1948, Gaza was a city like any other – only more ancient and, according to Gazans, more beautiful. Its temperate Mediterranean climate and fertile soil gave rise to lush groves of olives, dates, strawberries, and citrus.
The original bayyāra.
On the outskirts of Gaza City was a bayyāra (orange grove) belonging to our founder Noor's grandfather, Subhi. Before 1948 and for some years afterwards, the family bayyāra exported Valencia and Jaffa oranges to markets across Europe and West Asia.
After Zionist militants seized control of the land around Gaza, they began to throttle the flow of people and goods, and even the water supply. Eventually, Sido Subhi's bayyāra was no longer viable.
Darkness & light.
There have always been certain things Israeli violence can't extinguish: the local dialect, the tatreez, the surf clubs, the scent of jasmine, the courtyards with their pomegranate trees, and of course the food.
Now, Israel is doing its best to destroy even these indestructible things. We in Aotearoa are far away, and we cannot truly help the resistance. But amid the darkness and grief we can at least spread the brightness and joy of Palestinian food and heritage, throughout New Zealand and beyond.
By purchasing products made in the West Bank, you're also helping local farmers and businesses stay afloat. This is a crucial form of support, because productive farmland is much harder to steal than wheat fields and olive groves abandoned due to a lack of customers.
