Nablus Governorate, northern West Bank · Palestinian Territories
A valley city of Ottoman soap factories, hammams and hot knafeh, between two mountains with sacred places for Samaritans, Jews, Christians and Muslims.
Photo: Mohammad Hijjawi · CC BY-SA 4.0
Nablus lies in a narrow valley between Mount Gerizim to the south and Mount Ebal to the north, in the northern West Bank, about 50 km north of Jerusalem. It was founded by the Romans as Neapolis, a name that became Nablus, and it is one of the oldest cities in Palestine, with a population of about 150,000. It has long been the region's commercial and cultural hub, and is known as the 'Little Damascus' for its old trading links with Syria.
The old city is one of the best-preserved Ottoman urban centres in the region, with covered souks, stone khans, hammams and mosques from the 16th to 19th centuries. Nablus was famous for its olive-oil soap, made in factories that date back centuries, and for knafeh, the hot cheese and syrup dessert that is now eaten around the Middle East. The city is also the centre of the Samaritan community, an ancient people that traces its origins to the Israelites, of whom fewer than a thousand remain, and who still live on Mount Gerizim.
Nablus has been affected by the conflict in the West Bank, including military operations in recent years, and conditions change often. Some governments advise against travel to the city. It is included here because it is one of the most rewarding places in Palestine, but it is one where you must check current advice and local conditions before you go.
Why visit
Nablus is a real Palestinian city, and it is one of the best places in the West Bank for food, craft and a sense of everyday life.
Nabulsi knafeh, made with local white cheese, is the original, and it is eaten hot from vast trays in the old city.
Vaulted passages, khans, hammams and mosques make up a dense and largely unrestored old town that is still lived and worked in.
Family soap factories still make olive-oil soap in the traditional way, stacking the bars into towers to dry.
A tiny ancient community with its own version of the Torah, its own festivals and a mountain-top village that can be visited.
Jacob's Well, Joseph's Tomb and Mount Gerizim are important to Jews, Christians, Muslims and Samaritans in different ways.
Main attractions
The old city takes a morning, and the sites outside the centre take a second half-day.
A network of covered lanes with spices, sweets, textiles and everyday goods. The main streets are lively from morning to late afternoon, and the alleys are quieter.
Tip Go in the morning, and be prepared to be offered tea.
A number of family factories, such as Al-Shakaa and Touqan, still produce olive-oil soap by hand and stack it in towers to dry. Some welcome visitors.
Tip Ask before you go in, and buy a few bars.
Several shops in the old city serve the original Nabulsi knafeh, made from a special white cheese under crisp pastry and syrup. It is sold by weight and eaten standing up.
Tip Try it hot and fresh, in the morning.
Traditional bathhouses, such as Hammam al-Shifa, offer a steam and a scrub in a domed room. One of the oldest is still in use.
Tip Check the days and times for men and women.
A Greek Orthodox church built over a deep well where, according to the Gospel of John, Jesus met a Samaritan woman. It is one of the oldest Christian sites in Palestine.
Tip Modest dress is required. Check opening hours.
The mountain that the Samaritans hold sacred, with the remains of a Hellenistic temple and a Byzantine church, and a village where the community lives. A small museum tells their story.
Tip Visit during Passover if you can, when the Samaritans hold a sacrifice on the mountain.
Merchants' houses and palaces of the great Nablus families, some restored as museums and cultural centres, with displays on soap-making, textiles and local history.
Tip Ask your guide which are open, as hours change.
Things to do
Nablus is best for eating and wandering, with a guide if you want to get more out of it.
Local people eat knafeh in the morning, with a glass of tea, standing at the counters. It is a ritual.
Tip Go before 10:00, when it is freshest.
See the process from the olive oil to the stacked bars, and hear the history of the craft.
Tip Ask your host to arrange a visit.
A traditional bath and scrub is a relaxing way to spend an afternoon.
Tip Bring a swimsuit or a towel, and check the rules.
A local guide can explain the buildings and history, and get you into places that are hard to find.
Tip Book through your accommodation or a local organisation.
Learn about a very old and very small community with its own Bible and its own festivals.
Tip Ask about the museum's hours.
Homestays in Nablus and the surrounding villages give you a chance to share meals and meet people.
Tip Arrange through a local tourism cooperative.
Local food
Nablus is the food capital of the West Bank, and its cuisine is central to Palestinian identity.
Hot, sweet, stringy cheese under a layer of crisp orange pastry, soaked in syrup and topped with pistachios. It is the star of the city.
Where to try it Old-city knafeh shops.
Roast chicken with sumac and caramelised onions on taboon bread.
Where to try it Restaurants and homes.
A one-pot dish of rice, vegetables and meat, flipped onto a platter.
Where to try it Home-style restaurants.
Not to eat, but to buy: olive-oil soap in stacks, and good olive oil from the surrounding hills.
Where to try it Soap factories and shops.
Nablus has an enormous range of sweets, including baklava, ma'amoul and qatayef in Ramadan.
Where to try it Bakeries and sweet shops.
Served everywhere, and refused rarely.
Where to try it Cafés and shops in the old city.
Accommodation
Nablus has a few hotels and guesthouses, some in restored old houses. Most visitors come on a day trip from Ramallah, but a night in the old city is worth it if conditions allow.
Transport
Nablus is about 50 km north of Ramallah and 65 km from Jerusalem. Roads pass through checkpoints, and access can change.
The old city is on foot, and taxis cover the rest.
When to go
Nablus has a Mediterranean climate, with warm summers and cool wet winters. Spring is greenest, and the olive harvest in autumn is a special time.
Green hills and warm days. Passover brings the Samaritan sacrifice on Mount Gerizim.
Warm and dry. The old city is shaded and cool.
The olive harvest and clear weather make it an excellent season.
Cool and wet. Some roads and routes may be closed.
Worth planning around: Days of unrest or military operations, when the city may be closed, and Ramadan afternoons, when restaurants are shut.
Itinerary
Knafeh for breakfast, the old city and a soap factory in the morning, lunch and a hammam or Jacob's Well in the afternoon. Assumes a day trip from Ramallah with a guide.
The city's best-loved sights.
Travel tips
Nablus is welcoming and lively, and a few tips help.
FAQ
Nablus is welcoming to visitors, but the northern West Bank has seen military operations and closures in recent years, and some governments advise against travel there. Check advice, go with local guidance and be prepared to change plans.
A dessert of white cheese, crisp pastry and syrup, originally from Nablus. It is eaten hot, usually in the morning, and is the best-known Palestinian sweet.
An ancient community that traces its origins to the Israelites and follows its own version of the Torah. Fewer than a thousand remain, split between Mount Gerizim and Holon in Israel.
A day covers the old city, a soap factory, knafeh and one site. A night lets you experience the city in the evening.
Yes. It is about 90 minutes from Ramallah and two hours from Jerusalem, depending on checkpoints. Take your passport.
Modest clothing with shoulders and knees covered, and for women, a scarf is useful for mosques and conservative areas.
Keep exploring
Places that pair well with Nablus, whether you have a few spare days or are building a longer route.
Nablus Governorate, northern West Bank, Palestinian Territories
A small village on a hill above Nablus, built over the ruins of biblical Samaria and Roman Sebaste, with two thousand years of layers and almost no visitors.
Don't miss The Roman forum and its colonnade on the summit, with the olive groves of Samaria stretching away on all sides.
Explore Destination — Sebastia (Ancient Samaria)Ramallah and al-Bireh Governorate, central West Bank, Palestinian Territories
A modern, lively city 15 km north of Jerusalem with museums, a thriving arts and music scene, a good restaurant and bar scene, and the mausoleum of Yasser Arafat.
Don't miss The Arafat Museum and the Mahmoud Darwish Museum, then a long dinner of Palestinian food in the evening.
Explore Destination — RamallahRamallah and al-Bireh Governorate, central West Bank, Palestinian Territories
A small hilltop village of stone houses and olive groves, 13 km from Ramallah, best known for the Taybeh Brewery, its Oktoberfest and its Christian heritage.
Don't miss A tasting at the Taybeh Brewery, followed by a walk through the old village to the ruins of the Byzantine church of St George.
Explore Destination — TaybehRead next
Food
Eating well abroad is mostly a matter of knowing when meals happen, how the menu is structured and which dish belongs to the place you are standing in. This covers all three for the five countries in this guide, plus the signals that separate a restaurant that feeds locals from one that feeds coaches.
Where to go
The most visited place in a country is rarely its best, and it is almost never its best value. This is a method for finding the destinations that do not make the postcards — and a set of examples from five of the 50 countries on this site.
Advertisement
