In the south, a 40-minute drive from Jerusalem, the West Bank´s largest city outside Jerusalem (known in Arabic as Al-Khalil, pop. 201,000) is also one of the world´s oldest continually inhabited, and in part because it was the traditional home and burial spot of the Old Testament patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is considered sacred to Muslims and to a lesser extent Christians, as well as being one of Judaism´s Four Holy Cities. It´s also considered one of the territory´s most troubled, in part because 80 percent is controlled by Palestinians and 20 percent by fewer than a thousand Israelis, in the form of internationally illegal settlements, and there´s a lot of hostility between the two groups, including violence (recently more on the rise) directed by fanatical Israeli settlers at the Palestinians. Much of the old quarter in the Palestinian zone is a shadow of its former self with some parts blocked off by the Israeli occupiers, although there are still some markets and traditional crafts shops and workshops (including those showcasing glass and ceramics, a Hebron specialty). But history aficionados come here mostly to visit (which is under very tight security) the blocky, fortresslike, UNESCO World Heritage Sanctuary of Abraham (picturede here), sacred to Muslims (much of it is a mosque), Jews (who calli it the Cave of the Patriarchs and revere it as their second holiest site), as well as Christians because of its associations with Abraham; it´s the only full intact structure to survive from the 1st-century BCE reign of King Herod. There are also a trio of museums: the Old Hebron Museum on the Palestinian side, in the former, 96-year-old former Palestine Hotel; the Hebron University Museum, and the Jewish side´s Hebron Museum (aka Hebron Visitor´s Centre), showcasing the city´s Jewish history.
Read more in my post The Top 10 Musts in the West Bank of Palestine - Plus 1 More.
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