“ The special blue color utilized heavily in Safi creations, comes from the indigo plant “Indigofera tinctoria”, which was historically cultivated in Jordan. Re-invigorating this tradition, the plant is cultivated right on local farms, thanks to the support of UNESCO, the Drosos Foundation and the Ministry of Agriculture. Using no chemicals or pesticides, we harvest and process the plant by hand, following a traditional technique.”

The women of “Safi Crafts” work with several other natural colors besides the signature blue. To create orange, salmon and rust brown, the natural earth of Petra and Wadi Mujib is used. Reds, Oranges and pinks are derived from madder root, which is collected in the wilds of Dana village. Yellow is extracted from ochre earth and pomegranate rind, while black and grey are created using a centuries old method of mixing iron with tannins, such as those found in tea, eucalyptus bark and pomegranate rind, all locally produced. The rich brown dyes come from ochre earth, pomegranate rind and eucalyptus bark. Finally, the natural greens are crafted by over-dying indigo blues with yellows from pomegranate and ochre earth.”