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 was built in
1906 for the Sultan Abdul Hamid II of the
Ottoman Empire after thirty years of ruling.
 Welcome to Nablus

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

There 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
 Welcome to Nablus
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 breathe 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
 Welcome to Nablus
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 visit
 Welcome to Nablus
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
 Welcome to Nablus
best dish in Nablus. It is made from 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.
Welcome to Nablus