Nar Patch

The patch’s name comes from the Crimean Tatar word “nar” — “pomegranate.”

Nar is one of the symbols of Örnek, the traditional Crimean Tatar ornament inscribed in 2021 on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

In Crimean Tatar culture, the pomegranate is a symbol of abundance, prosperity, and good wishes.

It has many seeds. They are almost impossible to count.

Perhaps that is why the pomegranate resembles a people so much. People who may be scattered across different cities and countries, but who cannot truly be separated.

Each seed is separate. But they all belong to one fruit.

For us, this symbol became a wish. May we have enough strength to protect what is ours. May our loved ones be near. May memory not be lost. May all roads lead home one day.

We made this patch in blue and yellow. In the colors of two flags that remind us: freedom always begins with the right to remain yourself.

The patch was created based on a work by Afize Yusuf-kyzy, a Crimean Tatar singer, glass-painting artist, civic activist, and former journalist for the ATR TV channel.