Welcome to Nablus

A Guide Book to Nablus

By

Teach for Palestine Winter Semester 2010

Mr Nick, Tamer, Nazmi, Ibrahim, Dia, Shareef, Awni,

Barakat, Zaid, Qais, Manar, Fadi and Ali

Welcome to Nablus

Welcome to my city, Nablus. Nablus is the second biggest city in the West Bank,

Palestine. Nablus is inbetween two mountains, Mount Ebal and Mount Jerzim. The

population of Nablus is 126,000. Nablus is a beautiful city and it is famous for its

food and the soap made here. They make the best Kanafe in the middle east and

Falafel.

Nablus has changed alot over the past ten years. Now there are many shops,

restaurants, cafes and hotels. Many things have changed and there are alot of

new places to go, like Sky Nablus and Nablus Mall. There are many intersting

places to see such as the Old City, the New City, Rafidya and many sites of

religious importance.

The weather in Nablus is nice. In summer it is hot and in winter it is not too cold,

so it is perfect to visit. The people are friendly and the food is delicious. In Nablus

there are many club sports and it is the first city for sports in all Palestine. You

must visit Nablus if you come to Palestine.

Welcome to Nablus

The Souk

The souk in Nablus is a wondeful place to see. If you visit

Nablus you must visit the Old city because it is the most

beautiful part of the city and it contains many interesting

things. If you need anything, you will be able to find it in the

souk.

When you get in the souk you can spend many hours there, or

maybe even days because there are many things to see. When

you walk around the souk you will smell different smells; for

example when you walk past a falafel shop you will smell an

amazing smell and you will be hungry and buy a sandwich and

you will enjoy the delicious taste or you will smell perfume from

one of the perfume sellers for example.

Every time you visit the souk you will learn something new.

There are many historical and old buildings to see for example,

the clock tower and the big mosque.

The Clock Tower

The clock tower in the old city is one of the most

interesting old and historical things to see. It is a

large tower in the middle of the souk next to the

big mosque. If you see any clock in Nablus it

looks like this one. It is important in Nablus

because of its history which you must know. It

Welcome to Nabluswas built in 1906 for the Sultan Abdul Hamid II of the Ottoman

Empire after thirty years of ruling.

The Big Mosque

Possibly the most interesting building in

the old city is the big mosque. There are

many mosques in Nablus but the Big

Mosque in the souq is the biggest. It is in

the eastern district of the old city. In the

past it was a church but Salah Al-Din

made it into a mosque 500 years ago

when he won a battle against the

crusaders and prayed in it with the

Muslims. The mosque is very big and

long. Inside there are many pillars and

big windows. When you get inside you

will feel that you are very tiny and small because it is very long

inside. You can see the Al-Mimber, where the Imam stands, and

you can pray in there. There is a fountain to wash yourself

which is very beautiful. It is different from other mosques

because the walls are natural and it is like a cave. There is no

sound, it is a quiet and peaceful place. When you get out you

will always remember it.

The Sweet Factory

Welcome to NablusThere are many factories in the souk which you can visit. One

factory which you should visit is the sweet factory. This factory

is next to the clock tower in the old city. You will smell the

sweets if you walk near it. It is built in an old British prison.

Inside there are many machines making all sorts of sweets like

boiled sweets and they are very delicious. Many people do not

visit the factory, but the workers are very friendly and gave us

some sweets. You should visit this factory because you can

learn how sweets are made.

Sky Nablus

If you visit Nablus and want a day trip with family or friends,

Sky Nablus is perfect. Sky Nablus is a big park on the top of

Ebal Mountain. It is called Sky Nablus because you can see

everything and it is close to the sky. You should go there to

Welcome to Nablusbreathe fresh air and from there you can see all of Nablus and

take many pictures. You can walk around the gardens or sit on

the benches. It is good for a picnic. Young people can play

football, children can play on the games in the park and older

people can use one of the cafes. There are three cafes; you can

get coffee, shisha and food there.

It is easy to get to, you can either walk, take a Taxi which will

cost 10 shekels from the centre. Entrance is 5 shekels per car.

There are free facilities and it is good for families. You must

visit Sky Nablus.

Shops in the Old City

If you want to buy

anything, go to the

souk. Every time you

Welcome to Nablusvisit you will see new things. If you want to buy fruit or

vegetables you can buy it in the souk. You should buy

them from the souk for many reasons; the first is

because the fruits and vegetables in the old city are

fresher than from outside the souk. They are also

cheaper in the souk and any type you want you can

find. You can also buy fresh meat in the souk. You can

buy anything you need, from vegetables to toys and

clothes. You will get the best prices in the souk.

Food in Nablus

The food in Nablus is very

delicious. There are many

types of food in Nablus,

ready made food from the

street, many types of

delicious sweets and food

made in the home.

The food made in Nablusian homes

is the best because it is made by our hands. Maqlouba (upside

down) is the most popular and best dish in Nablus. It is made

Welcome to Nablusfrom rice, potatoes, spices, chickpeas and meat. There are too

many types to write about. You will have to try them!

The sweets in Nablus are

the best in the world.

Kanafe is the most famous,

everyone that comes to

Palestine likes Kanafe and

they all tell their friends

about it. It is made from

cheese and orange sugar.

After you eat Kanafe you want to drink a lot of water because it

is has so much sugar it makes you thirsty.

There are many places that

make Kanafe in Nablus and

they also sell other sweets

like baklava.

If you are hungry whilst

walking in the street, you can

buy street food in Nablus. The most

popular food is falafel, everyone eats it here. It is

very cheap and delicious.