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Nablus
Also known as Nabulus, Shechem, Neapolis
Nablus ( ) is a city in the West Bank, Palestine, and the capital of the Nablus Governorate. It is located approximately north of Jerusalem, between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim with a population of 156,906. The city is a commercial and cultural centre of Palestine, home to An-Najah National University, one of the largest institutions of higher learning in Palestine, and the Palestine Stock Exchange. Nablus is under the administration of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA).
AI overview
Nablus is a Palestinian city in the West Bank, located north of Jerusalem, that serves as the capital of the Nablus Governorate and is administered by the Palestinian National Authority. It is an important commercial and cultural center for Palestine, housing major institutions like An-Najah National University and the Palestine Stock Exchange, with a population of nearly 157,000 people.
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Place details
- Locality
- نابلس
- Region
- West Bank
- Country
- الأراضي الفلسطينية
- Population
- 130,326
- Timezone
Travel guide
Understand
Nablus is one of the oldest cities in the world, possibly established 9,000 years ago. It was called "Shechem" by its Canaanite and Israelite inhabitants. Shechem was the first capital of the northern ancient Israelite kingdom. The Romans built a new city (Flavia Neapolis, in honor of Flavius Vespasian) a short distance from Shechem. The name Nablus comes from Neapolis. The old city of Nablus is on the site of Neapolis, but in modern times the city has grown to include the site of Shechem as well.
Nablus is distinguished by its location in a narrow valley between the two mountains Gerizim and Ebal. This makes for an impressive view when you are in the city.
Schools were established in the middle of the 19th century during the short reign of Ibrahim Pasha, but maintained their existence in the following years when the Ottomans regained control of the region. On 11 July 1927 the town suffered a major earthquake. Much of the consequent damage to buildings was never repaired, and the ruinous condition of many of them may well have encouraged the inhabitants to move outside the old city to build their new houses, although some new building to the north and west of the old city had already been undertaken before 1927. The arrival of the motor car has increased emigration to the slopes of Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal, where new roads allow vehicles the easy access denied them in the hilly and partly-stepped streets of the old city.
During the British Mandate (1917–1948), Nablus b…
Get in
As of July 2010 there were no checkpoints for buses and service taxis (aka servees) entering Nablus from other West Bank cities, although you will need your passport and visa stamp to enter back into Israeli territory upon your return.
Get around
Most of the urban area of Nablus is small enough to be navigated on foot. It is not recommended that you wander around too much as there are a number of neighborhoods in Nablus that may have troubles with IDF raids and public unrest. However, the tensions have eased, but you should still check for the latest situation.
The public transportation in Nablus is informal, and is normally done by sharing service taxis (aka servees). The black-and-yellow taxis (sometimes with a Hebrew "Monit" sign on top) will take you anywhere in Nablus, and it's easy to find people to share the taxi with for many locations.
~50 min read
Article
38 sectionsContents
- History
- Classical antiquity
- Early Muslim period
- Crusader period
- Ayyubid and Mamluk rule
- Ottoman era
- Egyptian rule and Ottoman revival
- World War I and British Mandate
- Jordanian occupation
- Israeli period
- Palestinian control
- Geography
- Old City
- Climate
- Demographics
- Religion
- Economy
- Education
- Healthcare
- Culture and arts
- Customs
- Traditional costume
- Cuisine
- Cultural centers
- Soap production
- Local government
- Mayors
- Municipal services
- Fire department
- Transportation
- Sports
- International relations
- Twin towns and sister cities
- See also
- Notes
- References
- Bibliography
- External links
Nablus ( ) is a city in the West Bank, Palestine, and the capital of the Nablus Governorate. It is located approximately north of Jerusalem, between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim with a population of 156,906. The city is a commercial and cultural centre of Palestine, home to An-Najah National University, one of the largest institutions of higher learning in Palestine, and the Palestine Stock Exchange. Nablus is under the administration of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA).
Nablus has been traditionally associated with the ancient city of Shechem. However, Shechem is now identified with the nearby site of Tell Balata in the Balata al-Balad suburb of the West Bank. The modern name of the city can be traced back to the Roman period, when it was named by Roman emperor Vespasian in 72 CE. During the Byzantine period, conflict between the city's Samaritan and newer Christian inhabitants peaked in the Samaritan revolts that were eventually suppressed by the Byzantines by 573, which greatly dwindled the Samaritan population of the city. Following the Muslim conquest of the Levant in the 7th century, the city was given its present-day Arabic name of . After the First Crusade, the Crusaders drafted the laws of the Kingdom of Jerusalem in the Council of Nablus, and its Christian, Samaritan, and Muslim inhabitants prospered. The city then came under the control of the Ayyubids and the Mamluk Sultanate. Under the Ottoman Turks, who conquered the city in 1517, Nablus served as the administrative and commercial centre for the surrounding area corresponding to the modern-day northern West Bank. Much of Nablus' history is preserved in its Old City, which contains more than 100 monumental buildings.
Gallery (52)
On the map
3 mapped locations