You cannot wait to travel again after the coronavirus is completely over but just tired of the same travel destinations, then I got you covered, my name is Tural, and I am your guide to Palestine State. However, our tour is not like any other as we will be focusing on Instagrammable places of the country. Nowadays, it is hard to impress your Instagram followers with a picture in front of Eiffel Tower; however, I can promise you that all of your Instagram followers will be speechless when they see your picture from Palestine. I would also love to mention the fact that, in this article, we will be trying to avoid talking about the political situation in the area and be as unbiased as possible.
But before we move to the 12 Instagrammable places in Palestine State, let us get a little bit of information about the state. The first question that might pop on your mind is “Where is Palestine?”.
Keeping it very short we can say that Palestine is a territory on the eastern shores of the Mediterranean sea, which contains most of modern-day Israel and some of the Palestinian territory of the Gaza Strip which are mostly located alongside the Mediterranean Sea and the areas of West Bank. Being exact West Bank is the land on the west side of the Jordan River. Basically, two different and separated areas are comprised as the State of Palestine: the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, each controlled by independent, but often overlapping, Palestinian governments. However, we should also mention that the Gaza area is completely isolated from the rest of the world and, due to blockades, it is not as easy as it seems to visit it as a tourist.
Interestingly enough, the term Palestine derives from Philistia, the name given to the land of the Philistines by Greek authors, who inhabited a small pocket of land on the south coast between modern Tel Aviv – Yafo and Gaza during the 12th century BCE. And now that we have basic information about our travel destination, now it is a perfect time to get back to our Instagrammable tour!
1. Abraham Mosque
During your travel to Palestine, make sure you visit Abraham Mosque. Mosque of Al-Haram al-Ibrahimi sits in the southeast corner of new Hebron and in the centre of its old district. It is considered the fourth holiest site in the whole Islamic world and the second holiest site in Palestine. In an enclosure originally designed by Herod the Great, who ruled over Palestine during the early Roman period, the Al-Ibrahimi Mosque was founded. Within the Herodian enclosure, a church was built about 1099–1187 AD and was called the Citadel of Saint Abraham. However, just when Saladin al-Ayyubi expelled the Crusaders from Hebron in 1187, he decided to transform the church into a mosque completely. Unfortunately, today, the Israeli military authorities are restricting Palestinians entry to major parts of the mosque and have electronic gates built at its entrances for security reasons.
2. The Enclosure Walls
One of the most fascinating places in Palestine is, definitely, the enclosure walls. The walls surrounding the Haram al-Sharif which hit their highest point at the southeast corner, at 65 meters. From there you can get a breath-taking and Instagrammable view of the large dressed stone blocks of the Herodian walls and the subsequent restorations of the overlying courses of smaller stones. As well as four minarets with several building dates are located on the western and northern walls. Being precise, at the southwest corner, above Bab es-Silsileh, at the northwest corner, and-the youngest of the four-at the north wall.
3. Jerusalem
No matter how disputable this city is, it has never failed to attract tourists, no matter if they are travelling in Palestine or Israel. By being one of the world’s largest towns, both Israel and the Palestinian Authority each claim Jerusalem as their capital city. Still, I think it also would be fair to highlight that; however, neither claim is internationally accepted widely.
The city is boiling with history at every corner; every step that you take will make you feel like you are in the 11th century if not even earlier than that. No wonder travellers feel a deep connection with the land during their visit as one of the oldest continually populated cities in the world and city is a sacred place to Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. So just wandering around I can guarantee that you will be able to capture hundreds of detail of this beautiful city.
4. The old city of Jerusalem
As you keep walking around Jerusalem, there is no way that you won’t find yourself in the old city. Surprisingly to me, one of the best-preserved medieval Islamic settlements in the world is the Ancient City of Jerusalem, with its walls. Throughout the centuries and thousands of years, the Old City has been home to many diverse communities, both local and foreign, that are embodied in the city’s architecture and design and its religious houses and residential neighbourhoods. The living habits of Jerusalem today continue, making the city the heart of human history. Honestly, it sounds like a perfect destination for your next post on Instagram that will leave your Instagram followers speechless!
5. The Holy Sepulcher church
The Holy Sepulcher Church is the holiest of temples for Christians all around the world, maintaining much of the sacred sites related to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Located in the Christian Quarter of the Old City, the church was first built by Constantine’s mother Helena in the fourth century. Taking pictures in front of the church is one of the must-does when during your travel to Palestine.
6. Church of All Nations
The Church of All Nations or the Garden of Gethsemane as some call it, is situated at the foot of the Mount of Olives, was originally founded in 379 AD by the Byzantines over the place made holy by the grace and suffering of Jesus. The present church in Jerusalem is considered as one of the most magnificent churches around the world and attracts thousands of tourists to the country every year. And I was pretty impressed when I learnt why it is called “Church of All Nations”. Apparently, since sixteen nations contributed to its creation, it is considered the Church of All Nations. So, if you want to feel the real history of these lands, then don`t skip your chance to visit this church during your time in Palestine.
7. Bethlehem
After Jerusalem, we are going to another religious city in Palestine, to Bethlehem. To all Christians and Muslims, the city of Bethlehem is very sacred. It is remembered as the location where Jesus Christ was born. The Church of the Nativity, which is A well-known spot not only in the city but as well as, one of the most famous places in Palestine, as a whole. It was founded as one of three imperial churches in Palestine under Constantine, the first Christian Emperor. Quite expectedly, the economy is mainly driven by tourism sector and peaks during the Christmas season, when Christians make pilgrimages to the Church of the Nativity.
8. Saint Theodosius monastery
Saint Theodosius monastery was founded by Theodosius in 500 AD and is situated to the west of the historic village of Ubediyyeh, which is located around 12 kilometres east to Bethlehem city. Here you can see the burial place of Saint Theodosius which is marked by a white-walled cave and a legend says that the wise men rested here after God warned them in a dream that they could not return to Herod.
9. Dead sea
Another just beautiful and Instagrammable place in Palestine is this sea. The Dead Sea Coast of Palestine is roughly 40 kilometres long. The World Bank reports that the Palestinian Dead Sea tourism industry could create $ 290 million in revenue each year and 2,900 jobs. Yet Palestinians were unable to secure building permits on the Dead Sea for tourism-related investments.
10. Beit Jala
The third (so far) Palestinian city that you should be visiting is Beit Jala. Luckily enough, the city is located just two kilometres away from Bethlehem, the city we were previously talking about. This charming town is an ancient Canaanite town whose name means ‘grass carpet’ in Aramaic language which was once very well spread in this region. Today, it is home to a theological seminary and many ancient churches and convents, the most prominent of which is the Church of Saint Nicholas, with its square tower and golden dome.
11. The old town of Hebron
Are you a big fan of dominant Islamic architecture? Well, Hebron is the address that you have been looking for! In the southeast corner of the new city of Hebron, the old town of Hebron is located, with Al-Haram al-Ibrahimi at its heart. The centre of the city shifted from Tell Rumeideh to the vicinity of Al-Haram al-Ibrahimi during the early Islamic period. The buildings in the Hebron Old Town model reflect typical Islamic architecture, in which Ottoman designs are prevalent. What can be better than feeling the Arabic charm during your time in Palestine…
12. Haram al-Rama
Situated three kilometres north of the centre of Hebron, Haram al-Rama is synonymous with religious practices that derive from the tale of Abraham, who, after parting ways with his nephew Lot, is said to have set up a tent in Al-Rama. The location may be the spot where Abraham obtained the three angels, according to these holy scriptures, who told him that his wife Sarah would give birth to Isaac. However, even if you are not very religious, the city still has that eastern atmospheric sightseeing that will make you forget all the places that you have ever travelled and will make you fall in love with it!
