นาบลุส

See

The Souq (The q is silent) is a typical colorful and loud Palestinian vegetable market located right in the center of town. Look for the tent roofs. Close-by popular sights of the West Bank (read here) are Sebastia Archaeological Park (conveniently located if you go north towards Jenin), Awarta village, Kifl Hares and Aqabah with the twin minaret.

Do

Climb 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. Mt Gerizim is the most holiest place for the Samaritan religion, believed by the Samaritans to be the first piece of land ever created by God, and the Samaritan community there offers a tour of their community to visitors. If you can come for their Passover (not necessarily the same date as the modern Jewish Passover!) you will see a colorful festival involving the consumption of lamb and goat sacrifices, comparable to Jewish practices 2,000 years ago. Check for opening hours.

Buy

Olive oil in Nablus is some of the best olive oil you can find anywhere. It can be purchased 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 in a few layers of plastic bags. Nablus's Old City also has numerous candy factories, and spice markets.

Eat

Kunafa/Knafeh (sugary couscous pastry on top of melted goat cheese) is one of the most popular Palestinian treats. Nablus residents boast that Kunafa Nablusy is the best in Palestine, and no trip to Nablus is complete without it.

You can get other sweets from Nablus as well, ha-lawa (baklava) and zalabya (sweet fried pastry) are very delicious.

Drink

Alcohol is difficult to find in Nablus. Try one of the many fine sheesha (water pipe) cafes downtown instead. You can buy alcohol in the samaritan village at Gerizim.

Sleep

If you don't know their addresses, you can ask anybody in the street or get in a taxi and tell the driver to take you to any one of these hotels.

Go next

Shared minibus taxis (sherut/servees) leaving Nablus tend to congregate around the center of town and along the two-sided Al-Gazalah (Al-Hadadeen) Street going southeast out of town. Ask the waiting drivers which cities they're going to until you find yours or they point you into the right direction.

Ramallah – Not so exciting, but the de facto seat of government of the Palestinian authority. There is a bus that goes to Ramallah (₪10.5) from the station, but the last bus leaves at 4PM. A servees taxi to Ramallah costs ₪15, and from Ramallah the bus to Jerusalem is ₪7 and leaves from the main bus station in Ramallah. Jerusalem – Besides the Dead Sea, a central focus for most people coming to this region. Bethlehem – The biblical birthplace of Jesus and hometown of David, surrounded by Mar Saba Monastery and Herodium (Herodion) Park. Jericho – One of the oldest settlements in the world and the Middle East, and a great starting point for Kalya Beach at the Dead Sea. Jenin – Its name's meaning is The spring of gardens. Tiberias – A large Israeli town in the north and great starting point for Galilee and Golan. To get there by hitchhiking, take a sherut to Tubas (₪7.50) and from there hitchhike east through Tayasir and Aqabah to the highway #578 or #90, and then north past the Israeli checkpoint.