In the fields of the Jordan Valley, Palestinian women still sing old folk songs while harvesting in olive groves. One tells the story of how a legendary ship with a life-saving cargo of food heads into port during a terrible famine that gripped the Levant in the last days of Ottoman rule. While in the Old City of Jerusalem, the scents of leather, spices, and animals merge into an aroma reminiscent of thousands of years of history.
“We try to send a message to people through our perfumes, revealing our heritage and the scent of our land,” says Qassem Abu Khalaf, explaining the motivation behind the Mejana fragrance line, which he created with his wife, Malak Hijazi. .
The young couple are Palestinians from the Beit Hanina neighborhood in occupied East Jerusalem. He is an advanced materials engineer and she is an English and special needs teacher. Their fragrance line grew out of the passion Qassem developed over the years to produce the best quality perfumes. He worked at night on his ideas, building a library of hundreds of ingredients.
At a restaurant in East Jerusalem, amid the ongoing war in Gaza, he says the five fragrances he has created are meant to allow people to hold a piece of Palestinian history in their hands. While for the Palestinians themselves, he hopes it’s a way to reconnect with their roots in a Proustian rush of memory triggered by the scent.
He and Malak chose the name Medjan because the word describes the old songs Palestinians sing while working.
“Meyana has a special rhythm when you sing it,” says Malak. “It means joy and happiness. We chose it because when you smell a special scent, you feel good, you feel happy in the same way.”
