100 photos from Palestine
A glimpse into the people, places and daily life in Palestine before the 1948 Nakba.
Long before lines were drawn on a map and city names were changed, there existed a land full of people who lived in bustling cities and remote villages, where markets overflowed with diverse voices, and farmers tended olive trees rooted deep in the hills.
This story is told not through treaties or timelines, but through photographs: small, powerful fragments that capture the texture of daily life and those who lived it.
They offer a rare, unfiltered lens into the lived reality of Palestinians in a time before exile and occupation dominated the narrative.
This collection of 100 archived images of life in Palestine before the 1948 Nakba, when Zionist militias expelled at least 750,000 Palestinians and captured 78 percent of historical Palestine.
Browse through Palestine as it was: people, places, and life and culture.
People
The children, elders, farmers and merchants
At the heart of any place is its people. This section gathers faces and figures of children, elders, farmers and merchants, capturing a moment in each of their lives.
Traditional dress, expressions and gestures reflect a culture rich in diversity. Muslims, Christians, Jews, and Bedouins appear side by side, revealing a land defined not by division, but by coexistence.
Individual portraits
Each face carries its own story of life, labour, joy, or longing.
Drag the slider or click on an image to see it in more detail.
Group photos
Families, neighbours and friends gathered for the camera to record their moments together.
Places
Streets, stones and sacred grounds.
Palestine’s landscape is a tapestry of rolling hills, ancient olive groves, and vibrant cities, where history and nature intertwine.
From the old stone quarters of Jerusalem to the hills of the Galilee, each image in this chapter grounds us in lived-in spaces carrying memory and meaning.
Cities and towns
From the bustling port of Jaffa to the stone alleys of Hebron, towns in Palestine bear layers of history.
Architecture and landmarks
Minarets, domes and arches stood as testaments to faith, craft and endurance.
Streets and markets
Narrow alleys and open markets were arteries of daily life. Here, footsteps, voices, and trade converged in constant motion.
Life and culture
The rhythm of the everyday
Here, we see how people moved, worked, gathered and celebrated. Carts on dusty roads, bread baking in clay ovens, weddings, markets and moments of rest.
Daily life
In kitchens and courtyards, daily rituals - grinding beans, sieving wheat and baking bread - played out with grace.
Social life and events
From weddings and blessings to public festivals and pilgrimages, communal life pulsed with joy and meaning, be it sharing lunch or walking in a bridal procession.
Labour and crafts
Work in olive groves, workshops and coastal waters was both a necessity and an art. These photographs honour the makers, menders, and growers who shaped Palestine through skill and perseverance.