Middle East - Anthony Ham [268]
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Getting There & Away
Bear in mind that road blocks are frequent in this area, and entry to the town may be denied at any time. If roads are open, take a service taxi (20NIS) from Al-Musrara in Jerusalem, which takes about an hour to travel the 36km. You can also take a private taxi from Bethlehem (around 100NIS), which is a journey of 24km.
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NABLUS
09 / pop 130,300
Scenically situated between the Gerizim and Ebal peaks, this quite attractive, bustling town is the largest West Bank population centre and is well known for its production of soap, olive wood and olive oil – though also for its simmering angst against Israeli occupation. In the central Palestine/Al-Hussein Sq, you’ll find the bus stops, the service taxi ranks and a small market. Immediately to the south, the Old Town stretches eastward along Nasir St. It’s generally safe to visit but, as with everywhere in the West Bank, keep your ears open for current updates.
Sights
From Al-Hussein Sq head south towards the landmark minaret of An-Nasir Mosque (Nasir St) – one of 30 minarets punctuating the Nablus skyline. Nearby, at the heart of the atmospheric Ottoman-era Old City, is a privately owned old Turkish mansion known as Touqan Castle, where visitors can knock on the door to admire the architecture and garden. To get here from Nasir St, simply walk south through Al-Beik Gate and the entrance is up the slope on your left.
East of the An-Nasir Mosque, on An-Nasir St, is Al-Shifa ( 238 1176; men 8am-midnight Mon, Wed-Sat & 3pm-midnight Tue-Sun, women 8am-5pm Tue & Sun), the country’s oldest functioning Turkish bath. Built around 1624 at the start of the Ottoman period, Al-Shifa offers massage, along with a stiff brush-down with a camel hair brush for around 20NIS. At the entrance to Balata refugee camp (the West Bank’s largest UNRWA camp), you’ll find Jacob’s Well ( 8am-noon & 2-5pm) where the remains of a Crusader church marks the spot that Jesus is said to have been offered water by a Samaritan woman.
Sleeping & Eating
Al-Yasmeen Hotel ( 233 3555; yasmeen@palnet.com; s/d US$40/50) In the centre of town, this place is a favourite of aid workers and other foreigners.
The Nablus speciality is sweets, including Arabic pastries, halva, Turkish delight, and especially kunafa (vermicelli-like pastry over a vanilla base soaked in syrup). The best bakery at which to try this delicious delicacy is Al-Aqsa (Nasir St), in the Old City beside the An-Nasir Mosque.
Getting There & Away
Sherut taxis run to Nablus from Al-Nahda St in central Ramallah (13NIS). There are at least seven checkpoints en route, so how long it will take you is anybody’s guess. The main Nablus checkpoint is Huwwara: this can be closed at any time, so find out if its open in advance if you can.
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GAZA CITY
08 / pop 479,400
You might think that Israel’s small compared to the size of its international coverage. But the Gaza Strip beats even Israel’s square miles–to–newspaper column inches ratio. Would you believe that the tragically violence-plagued, explosive and intriguing piece of real estate is less than 10km wide, and just under 45km long?
Translations of the area’s name offer a hint of its former glories: ‘the treasure’, ‘the chosen place’, and ‘the ruler’s prize’ are just some of the interpretations. Throughout history, Gaza City – capital of the Gaza Strip – was a thriving deep-water port, coveted by such greats as the ancient Egyptians, Alexander the Great, the Emperor Hadrian, Saladin, Richard the Lionheart and even Napoleon.
Its more recent history, however, is more tragedy than treasure. Palestinian refugees flooded the area after the foundation of Israel in 1948, and poverty soon overshadowed affluence. Throughout the ensuing decades, Palestinian refugees came to loggerheads with Israeli settlers, and the outcome was frequently bloody. In 2005 Israel pulled out all settlers from