Founded in 72 CE as Roman Flavia Neapolis, this bustling, vibrant city of 157,000 located between Mounts Ebal and Gerizim, about an hour 20 minutes north of Jerusalem is notable for its intellectual, cultural, and commercial activity, hosting for example the Palestine stock exchange and An-Najah University. Nablus doesn´t have biblical sites but for the visitor more than makes up for it with an atmospheric medieval quarter - packed with ancient alleyways and passageways, mosques (Hanbali is particularly spectacular), fountains, traditional hammams (bath houses) balconies, a bustling bazaar, and more than a hundred historical buildings of note, including palaces such as Abd Al-Hadi, Al-Nimr, and Touqan. One local specialty is artisinal soaps made from olive oil and other ingredients, and you can also visit a number of factories here. Another notable aspect is the locals´ love of sweets, with dozens of local specialties such as kanafeh, a mix of shredded wheat pastry and sweetened goat cheese, baked and soaked in syrup. For views of the city, you can head up to Sama Nablus Park atop Mount Ebal, and on 886m-high Mount Gerizim (aka Jabal al-Tor) you´ll find the village of Kiryat Luza, home to some 400 Samaritans, adherents of an ancient monotheistic religion said to be the faith of the original Israelites; it´s fascinating to observe their traditional way of life, taste their cuisine, visit several archaeological sites up here, and learn more about their history and culture at the local museum. Also worth a visit on the eastern outskirts of modern Nablus between Ebal and Gerizim is the ruins of Tell Balata, the remains of the ancient Canaanite of Shechem, dating back 5,000 years.
Read more in my post The Top 10 Musts in the West Bank of Palestine - Plus 1 More.
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