Nablus Attractions
West Bank
Nablus (Shekhem to the Israelis) lies 42km/26mi northeast of Tel Aviv and 60km/37mi north of Jerusalem in the uplands of Samaria. An industrial town, it is the main Palestinian center on the west bank of the Jordan. Since Nablus is subject to frequent outbreaks of violence it is advisable to enquire about the current situation before visiting the town.
History
In A.D. 72, two years after the destruction of Jerusalem, Titus founded the settlement of Flavia Neapolis (the "new city") 2km/1.25mi northwest of the ruined town of Shechem. The town flourished, and in 244 was granted the status of a colonia. At first mainly populated by pagan veterans (time-served Roman soldiers) and Samaritans, it soon acquired a Christian community, which produced the philosopher and martyr Justinus (Justin Martyr, c. 100-165). In 521 the Samaritans killed the bishop and devastated the town's churches, whereupon Justinian had the rebels (except those who became converted to Christianity or managed to escape) executed or sold into slavery. In 636 the town of Neapolis was occupied by the Arabs and became known as Nablus. During the Crusader period Queen Melisande, widow of King Fulk, fortified the town against her son Baldwin III, who in 1152 excluded her from political life but left her in possession of Nablus, where she founded a number of churches. The Christian occupation of the town, however, was short-lived: in 1187 it was recovered by the Arabs and since then has remained a Muslim town.
In the 16th century Nablus was the center of one of the four Ottoman administrative divisions of Palestine (the other centers being Gaza, Jerusalem and Safed). In 1936 it was the starting-point of a rebellion against the British Mandatory authorities. Jordan seized Nablus in 1948 but it was retaken by Israel in 1967. In 1980 the mayor of Nablus, Bassam Sheker, one of the most influential Palestinian politicians in the Israeli-occupied territories, lost both legs in a bomb attack, and in 1986 his successor Zafer el-Musri was murdered. The perpetrators of these terrorist acts have not been found, but are believed to have been either Israeli extremists or Palestinians who considered the mayors too pro-Israeli.
Nablus (Shekhem to the Israelis) lies 42km/26mi northeast of Tel Aviv and 60km/37mi north of Jerusalem in the uplands of Samaria. An industrial town, it is the main Palestinian center on the west bank of the Jordan. Since Nablus is subject to frequent outbreaks of violence it is advisable to enquire about the current situation before visiting the town.
History
In A.D. 72, two years after the destruction of Jerusalem, Titus founded the settlement of Flavia Neapolis (the "new city") 2km/1.25mi northwest of the ruined town of Shechem. The town flourished, and in 244 was granted the status of a colonia. At first mainly populated by pagan veterans (time-served Roman soldiers) and Samaritans, it soon acquired a Christian community, which produced the philosopher and martyr Justinus (Justin Martyr, c. 100-165). In 521 the Samaritans killed the bishop and devastated the town's churches, whereupon Justinian had the rebels (except those who became converted to Christianity or managed to escape) executed or sold into slavery. In 636 the town of Neapolis was occupied by the Arabs and became known as Nablus. During the Crusader period Queen Melisande, widow of King Fulk, fortified the town against her son Baldwin III, who in 1152 excluded her from political life but left her in possession of Nablus, where she founded a number of churches. The Christian occupation of the town, however, was short-lived: in 1187 it was recovered by the Arabs and since then has remained a Muslim town.
In the 16th century Nablus was the center of one of the four Ottoman administrative divisions of Palestine (the other centers being Gaza, Jerusalem and Safed). In 1936 it was the starting-point of a rebellion against the British Mandatory authorities. Jordan seized Nablus in 1948 but it was retaken by Israel in 1967. In 1980 the mayor of Nablus, Bassam Sheker, one of the most influential Palestinian politicians in the Israeli-occupied territories, lost both legs in a bomb attack, and in 1986 his successor Zafer el-Musri was murdered. The perpetrators of these terrorist acts have not been found, but are believed to have been either Israeli extremists or Palestinians who considered the mayors too pro-Israeli.
Read More
The town
The modern districts of Nablus with their tall office blocks are in sharp contrast to the maze of irregular streets and lanes in the old town. In the center of the market area is the El-Nasser Mosque. The town's largest mosque is the El-Kebir Mosque, a few hundred yards east, which was built in 1168 on the foundations of a Frankish church.
