[The last soap factory in Palestine]
Due to repeated wars, only one of the last two soap factories in Palestine could handle exports.
The manufacturer is the Nablus Soap Company, which was founded in 1611.
The 400-year-old Nablus Soap Company is run by Mr. Tbere, a well-known soap family.
"Soap makers" (artisans who cut soap spread all over the floor) are called "Tubere", and Mr. Tubele is also known as the family from which the word "Tubele" originated.
The soap industry in Nablus, which flourished for many centuries from the 10th century, began to decline in the mid-20th century due to natural disasters, especially the great earthquake of 1927 that destroyed a large part of Nablus Old Town, and partly due to the Israeli military occupation, and during World War II, several soap factories were destroyed in the Nablus historic district due to a military attack by the Israeli army. Today, only two soap factories (including the Nablus Soap Company) operate in keeping the tradition alive and export to Europe. The most famous of these is the Nablus soap factory, which is run by Mojtaba Tbeleh, a descendant of a 400-year-old family of soap makers.