| Regional Guides |
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Regional Guides: PACE’s Regional Guides give an introduction to the various regions of the West Bank with its main tourist attractions and provide descriptions of the most important sites and their historical context. Most regional guides are available in Arabic and English, while others have an additional French, German and Italian versions. PACE Tour Guide of Nablus
Excerpt The city of Nablus is situated 63 km north of Jerusalem, between the historic mountains of Gerizim to the south and Ebal to the north. It enjoys a strategic position at the junction between two ancient commercial roads: one linking the coast to the Jordan valley, the other one linking the north to the south of Palestine through the mountains. Historians call Nablus the “the uncrowned queen of Palestine”. With a total population of over 100,000 inhabitants, it is now one of the largest towns in the West Bank, and one of its main industrial and commercial centers. The Roman emperor Titus founded the city as Flavia Neapolis (New City) in AD 72 in honor of his father Vespasian. It was the scene of constant strife between the local Samaritan and Christian populations, but in the wake of the Samaritan revolt against Rome in 529 AD, which was put down with severity by Justinian, most of the Samaritans were expelled. Nablus is a typical Arab town with its houses built down the mountains’ sides. The town was conquered by the Moslem Arabs in 636 who corrupted its name to Nablus. The Crusader’s army, leaded by Tancred conquered the town in 1099 AD and the Crusaders built a number of churches during their rule. Many of theses churches were erected for Queen Melisande, the widow of the Crusader King Fulk of Anjou, who made it her base after her exclusion from Jerusalem by their son Baldwin III in 1152. With their keen eye for strategic positions, the Crusaders also built a fortress on the top of Mount Gerizim. They could hold the city until the arrival of Salah al-Din in 1187. During the eighteenth century, the inhabitants of Nablus were among the most prosperous in the country, depending for their wealth on wheat and olives. The city is also known for its history of militancy. Under the British Mandate, it was a centre of Palestinian resistance to Zionist immigration and it was here in 1936 that a National Committee was first set up. Except for the brief period during the Crusades, Nablus has remained predominantly Moslem until the present day. PACE Tour Guide of Jericho Excerpt The city of Jericho is 36 km northeast of Jerusalem at an altitude of It is certainly the best tourist destination in Palestine during the winter months, January to April, but the people who come here in the winter leave it in the summer for the mountainous regions, especially Ramallah and Jerusalem. The climate is almost tropical with long, hot, dry summers and mild, briefly wet winters. The annual average temperature here ranges around 24 degrees centigrade. The temperature can, however, reach 48 degrees in summer, and drop to 3.6 degrees in winter. The average annual humidity is around 50 %, and rainfall averages about 150 ml a year. In this climate, crops ripen two months ahead of those in the rest of the country and the surrounding countries of the Middle East. Agriculture has dominated the life of the people of Jericho. Major crops are: tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, citrus fruits, bananas, and dates. The bananas, dates and citrus fruits of the region are probably the tastiest in the world, you should try them while in Jericho. The half hour-drive from Jerusalem to Jericho is truly a spectacular journey. There are a number of important historical and religious sites along the road that one should not miss. The area is a semi desert of about 500 km² that sustains no life except in the Wadis. This desert is known locally as Barriyat al-Quds or the wilderness of Jerusalem, part of the Judean Desert. In ancient times, monks and hermits came to meditate and pray in its silence, and Bedouins migrated into it for centuries in search of winter pasture for their flocks. Lately, a couple of Israeli settlements have sprung up the desert, displacing the desert Bedouins of the Jahalin and Ka'abna tribes. The settlements obtain their water by digging very deep wells that reach water beds, thus affecting the natural water flow down to Jericho. PACE Tour Guide of Bethlehem Excerpt Bethlehem is the place where Jesus came into this world in 6 BC. The city is nestled in attractive hill country 11 km south of Jerusalem. It has a population of over 22,000, half Moslem and half Christian. It is surrounded by green and fertile fields planted with vine and olive trees. The town became a place of pilgrimage early in the second century AD, and today, in the modern age of tourism, Bethlehem has become the star of destinations for international visitors from all parts of the world. It is one of the world’s most celebrated places with all the accompanying commercialism this implies. The historic and religious diversity of this ancient Palestinian town is apparent everywhere. Its architecture is characterized by cultural diversity and dominated by mosques and churches, a symbol of the intermingling of the region’s people. The Arabic name of the city means “house of meat” and in Hebrew “house of bread”. Bethlehem is thought to have been inhabited since the Stone Age, but its origins are lost in history. The first mention of the city in the Bible is in connection with the death of Rachel. Bethlehem did not gain the importance it holds today until the Edict of Milan of AD 313, by which Emperor Constantine legalized Christianity. Only then were Christians able to emerge from their clandestine status. During the Byzantine period, Bethlehem was a walled city with two towers: it figures in the famous map of Madaba and in the accounts of early pilgrims. Many monasteries and churches were erected in the flourishing town. During the Moslem Period, the sites revered by the Jews and Christians were protected. In 638, Omar Ibn al Khattab prayed in the southern apse of the Church of the Nativity: the Mosque of Omar with its fine minaret opposite the church commemorates this gesture. With the Crusader invasion of 1099, Bethlehem was captured by Tancred. It became the site for the crowning of Crusader kings and enjoyed royal flavour. Salah al-Din’s forces recaptured Bethlehem in 1187, but the Ayyubid Sultan al-Kamil returned it to the Crusaders who held it until they were finally ousted from the country by the Mamluks in 1291. Ramallah al-Bireh Tour Guide
Excerpt The towns of Ramallah and al-Bireh are 16 km north of Jerusalem and 860 m above sea level. Not too long ago, they used to be two small separate villages, and build now a large city. They are quite difficult to distinguish from one another and make together a total population of over 60 000 people, one of the largest and most active Palestinian centers in the West Bank. Ramallah - al-Bireh has long been the centre of learning and cultural activities, maybe since the American Friends (Quakers) opened their first school here in 1866. Nowadays, several higher academic institutions, cultural centers, theatres, and cinemas are to find in and around the two towns. Both towns, and especially Ramallah, are popular summer resorts. During this season they host several national and international cultural and musical festivals. Ramallah is one of the least conservative Palestinian towns. From the beginning of this century it has become a favorite holiday destination for people from all parts of Palestine as well as neighboring Arab countries. Visitors are entertained in Ramallah’s many fantastic restaurants, hotels and parks that serve typical Arabic and international meals and ice cream, for which Ramallahis famous. Alcoholic drinks are served as well, something that one may not find in al Bireh and other Palestinian towns. Since the hand over of the two cities to the Palestinian National Authority in December 1995, Ramallah and al-Bireh have become important political as well as administrative centers. The Palestinian Legislative Council is located here, as are the official Palestinian television and radio stations and many of the Palestinian Authority’s ministries. Hebron Tour Guide Excerpt Hebron is located 37 km south of Jerusalem. With a total population of about 120 000 inhabitants, it is the chief town of the southern half of the West Bank and the commercial centre for traders from more than 100 surrounding villages and communities. It is also the largest industrial centre in the West Bank. It was and is still to some extent an important agricultural town. Hebron is one of the oldest cities in Palestine, dating back to more than 6000 years from now. Around 4000 BC the Canaanite tribes emigrated from the Arabian Peninsula to Palestine and built different villages and towns including some in the Hebron area. Four villages on the hills Hebron were later amalgamated into a unified political and social system and the city flourished after its unification. This is possibly why the city was in ancient times called Kirjah Arba meaning the town of four; or it may have been because of its position on four hills. The united cities took Tell al-Rumaidah as their headquarters. During the course of history Hebron has been given several other names including: Mattalon, Castellum, Khevron, Khalil al-Rahman, and al-Khalil. Believing that Abraham was the first Moslem, and that the Haram was visited by Prophet Mohammed on his night journey from Mecca to Jerusalem, the Moslems converted the building into a mosque in the 7th century. Hebron became the fourth most sacred city of Islam after Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem. Except for about a century, during the Crusaders period, Hebron has remained a predominately Moslem city. The Jews were allowed legal residence in the city during the Moslem era. The Crusaders conquered Hebron in AD 1100, changed its name to Castellum, and again banned Jews from living in it. The Mamluks (AD 1250-1517) allowed Jews to reside in the town that by then had become a district capital, although only Moslems were allowed access to the Haram. During the 1929 upheavals, 67 Palestinian Jews were killed by a mob and the rest of the 2000 members of the strong Jewish community left the city. Things have continued to be tense virtually ever since. Immediately after the 1967 war, the calm in Hebron was destroyed when the fanatical Rabbi Levinger moved into a city hotel the Dabawia Building, which the settlers who live there call Bait Hadasa. This was the first hostile act in the long struggle of the Palestinian people against the settlers which has continued ever since with no end in sight. Gaza Tour Guide Excerpt Gaza City is 104 km southwest of Jerusalem. With a total population of more than 400 000 inhabitants, it is the largest and one of the most important cities in the Palestinian areas. Gaza’s unique geographical position on the crossroads between Africa and Asia, has ensured its place in history. It has guaranteed the city an important role in international politics and trade from the earliest times to the present. Gaza offers a broad range of archaeological evidence, representing the culture of almost seven thousand years of history. It has a story to go with every era and has been a coveted site for many people throughout history. It has been fought over, invaded, and occupied by nearly all the powers that have marched across the Middle East. Gaza was the first Palestinian city to enter the historical records. Ancient Egyptian texts mention it as a major city in the Middle Bronze Age already. Gaza’s first human settlements date back more than 6000 years from now. The early inhabitants of Gaza built their first villages in the pastureland of Wadi Gaza. They lived on cultivating cereals, hunting and fishing. The Canaanites started developing urban centres here around 3000 BC. Tell al-'Ajjul, on the northern bank of Wadi Gaza, was the first regional political capital. Much of the pottery, alabaster and bronze works discovered there are exhibited in the Rockefeller Museum in East Jerusalem. Soon after, the city of Gaza dominated the region, and was chosen as the administrative capital of the Egyptian administration of the Pharaohs during most of the Bronze Age and especially after the expulsion of the Hyksos from Egypt in 1580 BC. Gaza’s role as the chief port of the ‘Palestinians’ of the Early Iron Age (1200-1050 BC) contributed to its rise to prominence. According to the Old Testament (1Sam 13:19-22), the Philistines introduced iron in the country and monopolized it during most of the Early Iron Age. During this period, the port of Gaza became the most active in the country, if not in the whole Eastern Mediterranean region. Carthaginian ceramics discovered at the necropolis of Tell Ruqaish (near Dair al-Balah) stand witness to the links established with North Africa. |