There are seven clans in Bethlehem and the Tarajmeh are one of these clans. The Tarajmeh Clan consists of 27 families living now in Palestine, Middle East, Europe, Latin America, USA, Canada, Australia, and among other countries.
The name Tarajmeh was inherited in Bethlehem after the mid 14th Century, and derives from the Arabic word meaning “translators”. Historically, the family were also known as Turjmani, the Arabic equivalent of the Dragomans, who served as official interpreters and intermediaries in the late medieval and early modern Holy Land.
The members of the clan were known for their fluency in multiple languages, enabling them to serve as guides for pilgrims, guardians of holy places, and diplomatic intermediaries between the Catholic Church and local authorities. But if we dig deeper into clan history, our story is of great battles, trade, pilgrimage and close connections to royal and noble houses in Europe in particular Italy, Cyprus, Armenia (Cilicia) and Palestine.
For centuries, descendants of the Tarajmeh have asked a single question: who were our ancestors, and how did they come to Bethlehem? The answers are scattered across oral traditions, DNA research, Franciscan records, Catholic Church archives, and the wider history of Italy 7th to 11th century and Eastern Mediterranean 11th to 14th century.
Spanning over thirteen centuries, the Tarajmeh clan’s story weaves through empires, trade routes, and sacred lands.
29 May 2026
Tarajmeh ancestors travelled with early Byzantine maritime expeditions, first to Sicily, then Sardinia and Corsica, finally settling in Sardinia.
Read more29 May 2026
Family members moved from Sardinia to the Lazio region, establishing themselves in the heart of the Italian peninsula.
Read more29 May 2026
The Tarajmeh ancestor footprint included areas in South Tuscany (Massa, Grosseto and Siena) and Central Tuscany (Monte Pisano countryside located between Lucca and Pisa). They forged strong alliances with other noble families. They quarried prized building stone from the Monte Pisano area, which were used to build abbeys, bridges, fortresses, and noble residences.
Read more29 May 2026
The Tarajmeh ancestors engaged directly in a vibrant trade network. They allied with Amalfitan merchants and traders and with other Italian traders from Bari and Salerno crossed the Mediterranean and traded with the Fatimids. Their trade activity took them to Palestine where they settled, during the Fatimid rule, in mid-eleventh century.
Read more29 May 2026
Two brothers Jacob and Talamay arrived from Jerusalem in the middle of 14th century, during the permanent establishment of the Franciscans in Bethlehem.
Read more29 May 2026
For nearly four centuries, the Tarajmeh clan and the Franciscan Friars worked hand in hand to shape Bethlehem into a flourishing hub of religious artistry. Their collaboration created a near-monopoly in the manufacture and distribution of exquisite mother-of-pearl and wooden religious artifacts, reaching customers whether on pilgrimage, or otherwise, throughout the Holy Land and abroad.
Read more23 June 2026
Extensive trade networks connected Palestine, Italy, France, Kiev, London, and even the Philippines, trading with religious objects made from olive wood and mother- of- pearl.
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Each section of the site reveals a different chapter of the Tarajmeh history, from the sacred streets of Bethlehem to the ports and trade routes of Italy.
