Nabulsi soap

Nabulsi soap (Arabic: صابون نابلسي ṣābūn Nābulsi) is a type of castile soap from the Palestinian city of Nablus.^[1] Its chief ingredients are virgin olive oil, water, and an alkaline sodium compound, such as sodium hydroxide. The finished product is coloured ivory and has almost no scent. Traditionally made by women for household use, it had become a significant industry for Nablus by the 14th century. In 1907, the city's 30 soap factories were supplying half of all soap in Palestine. However, the industry had begun declining by the mid-20th century due to the destruction inflicted on the Old City of Nablus by the 1927 Jericho earthquake and later due to the 1967 Arab–Israeli War and consequential Israeli occupation of the West Bank. As of 2008^[update], there are only two soap factories operating in Nablus.