Hamsa

Hamsa, also known as the Hand of Fatima or the Hand of Miriam, is a palm-shaped amulet common in the Middle East and North Africa. The name hamsa comes from the Arabic khamsa, meaning five, a reference to its five fingers.

The five fingers are sometimes linked to the five books of the Torah in Jewish tradition or to the five pillars of Islam, but such associations are not universal.

The Hamsa is primarily a protective symbol against the evil eye and is believed to bring blessings, power, and good fortune. It is used by people of various faiths and cultures as a talisman; designs often feature an eye motif, inscriptions, beads, or metalwork. Blue or turquoise colors are common, as these are traditionally thought to repel the evil eye.

Crafted from metal, wood, ceramic, stone, or glass, the Hamsa appears as jewelry, wall hangings, door or car charms, and decorative objects in homes, businesses, and places of worship.

Origins are debated; possible roots lie in Phoenician, Carthaginian, or ancient Egyptian amulets, with widespread adoption across Jewish, Christian, and Islamic communities in the Mediterranean and Middle East. The name “Hand of Fatima” is associated with Fatima, daughter of the Prophet Muhammad, while in Jewish contexts it is called the Hand of Miriam or simply Hamsa.

Today the Hamsa remains a popular cultural symbol, used in jewelry and art and as a general good-luck emblem. It is often treated as a cultural rather than strictly religious symbol, though it retains religious associations for some groups, and conversations about cultural appropriation occasionally arise.