
A street in Nablus
Nablus: Geography
Dundee has a dramatic location on the banks of the Tay Estuary. Nablus sits proudly between two impressive mountains.
This map shows much that you need to know about Nablus. It lies in the northern West Bank – about 30 miles north of Jerusalem.
The UN map carefully shows how the Governorate of Nablus is substantially intersected by massive areas fully controlled by Israel (the lilac areas).
Nablus itself it surrounded by settlements, Israeli military infrastructure and restricted roads. Checkpoints and other obstacles impede Palestinian routes across their land.


The Nablus valley
Nablus lies between two mountains.
This picture is taken from Mount Ebal (the northerly mountain) looking east with Mount Gerizim across the valley.
Mount Gerizim is the holy site for the Samaritan community. They have lived in Nablus for thousands of years.

Location of Nablus
Nablus is situated 48km (30 miles) north of Jerusalem, in a fertile valley between two mountains – the dramatic heights of Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim.
Nablus is the largest city in the northern West Bank about 550m above sea level.
Summers are hot and dry; winters are cool and rainy.
The city of Nablus enjoys an important strategic location linking the north and south of Palestine.
It is located at the crossroads of the main roads that extend from Nazareth and Jenin in the north, to Hebron in the south, and from the city of Jaffa in the west to the city of Jericho in the east.
Nablus is 114 km away from the Jordanian capital, Amman, and 42 km away from the Mediterranean Sea.

Nablus: The Old City
At the centre of Nablus – both physically and emotionally – is the Old City.
At the heart of the Old City is the souk (market).
Here hundreds of stalls sell anything and everything: vegetables, meat, sweets, toys, clothes, jewellery, electrical goods, a haircut…
There are cafes and Hammam Alshifaa, a traditional bathhouse built over 400 years ago.
Leading off the souk are a myriad of passages and alleys that lead to squares and courtyards and hundreds of family homes.