Old City of Nablus
Old City of Nablus
البلدة القديمة النابلس | |
|---|---|
Old city | |
 Streets of the Old City | |
 1937 Survey of Palestine map | |
| Coordinates: 32°13′8″N 35°15′41″E / 32.21889°N 35.26139°E | |
| Country |  Palestine |
| City | Gaza City |
The Old City of Nablus is the historical center of Nablus, in the northern West Bank. Known for its cultural, architectural, and social heritage, the Old City was founded as a Roman city, and remained an important urban center ever since.[1][2]
The Old City of Nablus was a center of commerce, with large souqs selling textiles, spices and Nabulsi soap.
The Old City was severely damaged by Israeli rockets and bombs, particularly during the Second Intifada, where it suffered "probably more than any other Palestinian city".[3]
History
[edit]Originally founded as a Canaanite city at the nearby Tell Balata around 2000 BCE, the Old City itself was founded during the Roman period when the Roman Emperor Vespasian established the city of Flavia Neapolis in 72 CE. Nablus evolved into a prominent cultural, religious, and commercial center, due to its strategic location on vital trade routes connecting the region of Palestine with neighboring areas.
The city endured natural disasters, such as the devastating earthquakes of 1202 and 1927, as well as military incursions, which significantly damaged parts of the Old City.
Architecture
[edit]The Old City is known for dense, labyrinthine streets, lined with traditional stone buildings, markets, mosques, and historic houses. The architecture is predominantly Mamluk and Ottoman, with some structures dating back to the Ayyubid and earlier periods.
Notable Landmarks
[edit]
The Old City is home to several important landmarks, including:
- Great Mosque of Nablus: Originally built in the Byzantine period and later converted into a mosque, it stands as one of the most important religious sites in the city.
- Hammam al-Shifa: A traditional Ottoman public bathhouse, one of the few remaining in the West Bank.
- Khan al-Tujjar: A historic market and caravanserai, essential for Nablus' role in regional trade.
It is composed of six major quarters: Yasmina, Gharb, Qaryun, Aqaba, Qaysariyya, and Habala. Habala is the largest quarter and its population growth led to the development of two smaller neighborhoods: al-Arda and Tal al-Kreim.
Prominent families include the Nimrs, Tuqans, and Abd al-Hadis. The large fortress-like compound of the Abd al-Hadi Palace built in the 19th century is located in Qaryun. The Nimr Hall and the Tuqan Palace are located in the center of the old city.
There are several mosques in the Old City: the Great Mosque of Nablus, An-Nasr Mosque, al-Tina Mosque, al-Khadra Mosque, Hanbali Mosque, al-Anbia Mosque, Ajaj Mosque and others.
There are six hamaams (Turkish baths) in the Old City, the most prominent of them being al-Shifa and al-Hana. Al-Shifa was built by the Tuqans in 1624. Al-Hana in Yasmina was the last hamaam built in the city in the 19th century. It was closed in 1928 but restored and reopened in 1994.[1] Several leather tanneries, souks, pottery and textile workshops line the Old City streets.[2] Also located in the Old City is the 15th-century Khan al-Tujjar caravanserai and the Manara Clock Tower, built in 1906.[2]
Conservation and Challenges
[edit]The Old City of Nablus, like many historic urban centers in Palestine, faces significant challenges, including physical deterioration of buildings, lack of infrastructure, and the effects of the Israeli occupation, which have led to damage from military incursions and restricted access. Efforts have been made to preserve its architectural heritage, such as the restoration project led by the Taawon Welfare Association.
It has been added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List.[4]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Semplici, Andrea and Boccia, Mario. – Nablus, At the Foot of the Holy Mountain Archived 2017-07-08 at the Wayback Machine Med Cooperation, p.17.
- ^ a b c "History". Nablus.ps. Archived from the original on November 12, 2007. Retrieved 2008-04-24.
- ^ Awad 2017, p. 454: "The old city of Nablus has suffered, probably more than any other Palestinian city, from the massive invasion by Israeli forces during the second uprising which started in 2000. Many restoration projects were previously completed by the municipality but unfortunately destroyed by the Israeli bombing of the old city. Many buildings were heavily damaged by Israeli rockets during April 2002. A project was carried out by UNDP and funded by the Japanese government to rebuild the houses. Then in December of 2003, many houses were again damaged during Israeli military activity. This kept recurring: buildings were repaired and then damaged."
- ^ "Old Town of Nablus and its environs". whc.unesco.org (in Kinyarwanda). Retrieved 2024-09-28.
Bibliography
[edit]- Awad, Jihad (2017-01-15). "Conserving the Palestinian Architectural Heritage". International Journal of Heritage Architecture: Studies, Repairs and Maintence. 1 (3): 451–460. doi:10.2495/ha-v1-n3-451-460. ISSN 2058-833X.
- "Palestine". ICOMOS World Report on Monuments and Sites in Danger 2002: Heritage @ Risk. 2002-04-11. Retrieved 2024-09-28.
- Zarandona, J.A.G.; Cunliffe, E.; Saldin, M. (2023). "The case of Nablus". The Routledge Handbook of Heritage Destruction. Routledge Handbooks on Museums, Galleries and Heritage. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 978-1-000-89003-7. Retrieved 2024-09-28.
- Taawon Welfare Association. "Nablus, Enduring Heritage and Continuing Civilisation". Le projet LINK UP - The LINK UP project. Retrieved 2024-09-28.
- Tawayha, Fajer Al; Braganca, Luis; Mateus, Ricardo (2019-02-09). "Contribution of the Vernacular Architecture to the Sustainability: A Comparative Study between the Contemporary Areas and the Old Quarter of a Mediterranean City". Sustainability. 11 (3). MDPI AG: 896. doi:10.3390/su11030896. ISSN 2071-1050.
- Taher, Muath; Correia, Jorge (2015-08-26). "Streets in Nablus old town: repositories for cultural identity and collective memory". 2nd International Multidisciplinary Scientific Conference on Social Sciences and Arts SGEM2015. Stef92 Technology. doi:10.5593/sgemsocial2015b4. ISBN 978-619-7105-50-6. ISSN 2367-5659.
- Doumani, B. (1995). Rediscovering Palestine: Merchants and Peasants in Jabal Nablus, 1700–1900. University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-20370-9. Retrieved 2024-09-29.