Nablus Located in a very strategic way between two mountains with an abundance of natural springs, it has been ruled by many empires throughout its long history. In the Old City, several significant archaeological sites are dating back to the 15th century.
It is also the main home to the world’s smallest religious community: the Samaritans; an ethnoreligious group of the Levant that has a parallel but separate religion to Judaism. Just over 700 people live on Mount Gerizim, where they freely practice their rituals and lead a vibrant cultural life. With all its uniqueness, natural beauty, and rich history, It is considered to be an important Palestinian commercial and cultural center, and the capital of the district, with a population of 348,000.
PLACES TO VISIT INSIDE THE CITY
- The Old City This is a charming area filled with winding narrow streets and small shops selling
- The Souq is a typical colorful and loud Palestinian vegetable market located right in the center of town. Look for the tent roofs.
- Jacob’s Well The spot where it is believed that a Samaritan woman offered a drink from the well to Jesus and he then revealed to her that he was the Messiah
- Mount Gerizim Check for the hours, as this place does not seem to be open all the time. The top of the mountain hosts the community of “Kiryat Luza”, one of the only two Samaritan communities left in the world.
- Monastery of Bir el-Hamam Seen from all over the city, this monastery offers a great from above .
- Joseph’s Tomb In the eastern part of the city is a Muslim and Jewish holy site; however, it closes sporadically and it may not be possible to visit.
- Tell Balata Archaeological Park he site contains the remains of a Middle Bronze Age city with a massive fortification wall (ca. 1650–1450 BC), two impressive gates and a fortress temple.
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WHAT TO EAT
- Albader Soap Factory (Alnabulsi Soap). Neblusi olive soap has been very popular for all centuries. they are not using machine industrial It is handmade in factories located in the Old City. The factories will be more than happy to offer a very interesting tour of their facilities. The soap, 100% organic and freshly made is an extremely inexpensive ₪5 per bar souvenir for friends and family.
- Olive oil is some of the best olive oil you can find in the whole world. It can be bought in several shops in the old city. Keep in mind that the olive oil you purchase will be handed to you in a leftover coca-cola bottle or a few layers of plastic bags.
- The Old City also has numerous candy factories and spice markets.
WHAT TO DO ?
The climb is a very interesting chance to do you have there Mount Gerizim or Mount Ebal on either side of Nablus for a beautiful view of the city. A small Samaritan community, one of only two left in the world, resides atop Mt. Gerizim, and you can get a look at their temple on the mountaintop.
Gerizim is the holiest place for the Samaritan religion, believed by the Samaritans to be the first piece of land ever created by Lord, and the Samaritan community there offers a tour of their community to visitors. If you can come for their Passover you are in meeting with a colorful festival involving the consumption of lamb and goat sacrifices, comparable to Jewish practices 2,000 years ago.
MOST IMPORTANT AREA’S INFORMATION IN THE CITY
Old Town of Nablus
The Old City is a big residential and market site containing many old buildings and lively street scenes and activities. There are impressive mosques, souqs, Turkish baths, and traditional soap factories, which are worth exploring. From Al-Hussein Square, the way to the Old City is a route lined with shops selling Palestinian sweets such as Knafeh, Baklawa, or Burma for which is renowned.
Mount Gerzirn and Mount Ebal
881 m and 940 m above sea level respectively, they have views of the area. They are strikingly different in appearance. Mt. Gerizim is green and tree-covered; Mt. Ebal is for the most part bare, gray rock. The panoramic view from Mt. Gerizim is great.
The Samaritans who have lived there for 2500 years hold Mount Gerizim sacred. In the Hellenistic period, a temple of Zeus was erected on the mountain and was rebuilt in the Roman period.
Remains of this temple have been recently excavated. It connected with the city below it by a staircase, represented on coins, of which traces have also been found. The modern synagogue, which replaced an earlier one destroyed by an earthquake in 1927, houses what the Samaritans believe to be the world’s oldest Torah scroll (The Pentateuch). They are the five books of Moses (PBUH) and the only part of the Scriptures accepted by the Samaritans.
Jacob’s Well
It’s located at the entrance of the area. Jacob (PBUH), on his coming back from Mesopotamia, bought a plot of land from Hanoi for a hundred pieces of silver, on which he pitched his tent and dug a 35-meter-deep well for himself, his children, and his flocks.
The well-known as Jacob’s well. Tradition states that it was at this well that Jesus (PBUH) met the Samaritan woman and asked her for water to drink, the well has been an object of pilgrimage since then. The old church over the well was destroyed but restored by Crusaders, today Jacob’s Well stands within the walled complex of the Greek Orthodox Monastery.
Tell Balata (Shechem)
It is situated 3 km east. The area was founded by the Canaanites during the 3rd millennium BC and since then it has been destroyed and rebuilt many times. Owing to its position in a fertile and well-watered valley. Tell Balata was one of the earliest and most beautiful Canaanite cities.
The remains still visible are a monumental gate and wall on the east and another on the north; near the latter stood a large sanctuary. The large temple in the reconstructed courtyard nearby is thought to have been used for public worship.
Joseph’s Tomb
A little to the north of Jacob’s well is the traditional site of Joseph’s tomb (PBUH), an Ottoman building marked by a white dome.