French
DeutschOld 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 | Nablus |
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.[3] Today it includes more than 100 historical monumental buildings.[4]
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.[3] 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.[3]
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.[5]
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.[6][3]
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.
- ^ a b c d e Abujidi 2023, p. 343–356.
- ^ Salameh, Muna M.; Touqan, Basim A.; Awad, Jihad; Salameh, Mohammed M. (2022). "Heritage conservation as a bridge to sustainability assessing thermal performance and the preservation of identity through heritage conservation in the Mediterranean city of Nablus". Ain Shams Engineering Journal. 13 (2). Elsevier BV: 101553. doi:10.1016/j.asej.2021.07.007. ISSN 2090-4479.
The old city is a dense structure of narrow alleyways and public spaces, with many unique architectural features like vaulted arches, domes, minarets, roofed streets, vaults, etc. The city includes more than 100 historical monumental buildings such as Turkish baths, water springs, khans, ancient soap factories, churches, mosques, historic palaces, etc. Moreover, the city includes verifications for variety of accumulated cultures and civilizations with unique characteristics from various periods, Roman, Islamic, Ottoman, etc.
- ^ OCHA 2004.
- ^ "Old Town of Nablus and its environs". whc.unesco.org (in Kinyarwanda). Retrieved 2024-09-28.
Bibliography
[edit]- "Palestine". ICOMOS World Report on Monuments and Sites in Danger 2002: Heritage @ Risk. 2002-04-11. Retrieved 2024-09-28.
- Abujidi, Nurhan (2023). "Weaponised Heritage: Urbicide by Construction and Destruction in Nablus, Palestine". In Zarandona, J.A.G.; Cunliffe, E.; Saldin, M. (eds.). The Routledge Handbook of Heritage Destruction. Routledge Handbooks on Museums, Galleries and Heritage. Taylor & Francis. pp. 343–356. 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). "2nd International Multidisciplinary Scientific Conference on Social Sciences and Arts SGEM2015". 1. Stef92 Technology. doi:10.5593/sgemsocial2015b4. hdl:1822/44238. ISBN 978-619-7105-50-6. ISSN 2367-5659.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - 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.
- "Initial Report: Humanitarian consequences of the IDF operation in the old city of Nablus". OCHA. 2004-01-06. Retrieved 2024-09-30.
- Yousof, Mohammad Ata (1989), General guidelines for developing and preserving the historic old city of "Nablus" - West Bank, Kansas State University