Palestine
Asia · Ramallah · PS
Palestine is the ancient, storied country of the eastern Mediterranean, the historic homeland of the Palestinian people that stretches from the hills of the Galilee and the Jordan valley to the coastal plain and the fertile terraces of the central highlands. It is a land of profound and contested history, where the cities of the Bethlehem, the Hebron, the Nablus, the Ramallah and the Jericho conserve the deep layers of their religious, cultural and political life, and where the modern nation, divided between the occupied territories of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, carries the unresolved struggle of its people. The country holds some of the holiest sites, the church of the Nativity of the Bethlehem, the mosque of the Ibrahimi of the Hebron, and the olive terraces, the desert of the Jericho and the trade routes of the Jordan valley. Resilient, historic and deeply moving, Palestine is the land of the prophets and the people at the heart of the eastern Mediterranean.
Overview
Palestine is a country in Asia. Its capital is Ramallah and the international dialling code is +970. Languages commonly used in everyday life here include Arabic. Local currency is the Israeli New Shekel (ILS). We also list 1 city in Palestine: Ramallah.
The Square of the Manger and the Church of the Nativity
The town of the Bethlehem, the historic birthplace of the Christian tradition that stands on the ridge of the Judean hills above the desert of the east, holds one of the holiest sites of the Christianity, the church of the Nativity built over the grotto where the tradition places the birth of the founder of the faith. The church of the Nativity, the ancient basilica of the joint custody of the old churches, its famous low door of the humility and the glittering cave of the manger below, has drawn the pilgrims for seventeen centuries, and the monastery complexes and the terraced town around it preserve the intensity of the holy site. The nearby fields of the shepherds, the chapel of the tradition, and the olive groves of the ridge look down over the desert of the Jordan valley in the natural landscape of the nativity story.
The Great Mosque of the Ibrahimi and the City of the Hebron
The ancient city of the Hebron, the largest of the occupied southern towns that holds its wise stone streets and its market lanes over the slopes of the hills, is the home of the revered sanctuary of the mosque of the Ibrahimi, built over the cave of the patriarchs that the tradition honours as the burial place of the Abraham, the Isaac and the Jacob. The great hall of the mosque, with its medieval masonry and its cenotaphs of the prophets, and the whole divided, living city of the old market, the glass workshops and the compact quarters around the sanctuary, preserve the depth and the tension of the southern hills. The terraces of the vineyards and the olives that surround the city, and the castle of the crusaders of the hill, complete the layered landscape of the most contested of the holy towns of Palestine.
The Oasis of the Jericho and the Mountains of the Temptation
The oasis city of the Jericho, the ancient settlement of the west side of the Jordan valley that claims the title of the oldest continually inhabited town of the world, rises green and warm below the steep gorge of the desert where the mountain of the Temptation lifts its monastery against the cliff. The huge trees of the oasis, the springs of the tradition and the mound of the ancient ruins of the tel, the oldest ramparts of the known human town, give the legendary roots of the biblical cities of the plain. The cable car and the climb up the white cliff of the mountain, with the monastery of the orthodox tradition, and the ruined palaces of the early Islamic era of the nearby plain, frame the extraordinary setting where the desert meets the oldest town of the world.
The Capital of the Ramallah and the Hills of the Terraces
The modern capital of the Ramallah, the lively, hilly town north of the Jerusalem that crowns the crest of the central highlands, is the political, the cultural and the youthful heart of the contemporary Palestine, the seat of the authority and the centre of the theatre, the arts and the café life of the nation. The streets of the town, climbing through the pine groves and the many new buildings of the capital, hold the institutions of the government, the museum of the modern art and the busy squares of the daily life, while the villages and the olive terraces of the surrounding hills keep the old rhythm of the countryside. The views from the town across the coastal plain of the Mediterranean and the cultural energy of the young city make the Ramallah the true present-day capital of the Palestinian nation.
The Old City of the Nablus and the Baths of the Valleys
The old city of the Nablus, the ancient town of the northern mountains that guards the fertile pass between the two great peaks of the Ebal and the Gerizim, keeps one of the finest traditional urban cores of Palestine, the maze of the stone lanes, the markets and the tiny workshops of the soap, the sweets and the crafts. The great baths of the historic hamans, restored to their Turkish glory of the domed steam rooms, and the famous sweet of the knafeh of the city, baked over the hot coals of the market ovens, preserve the celebrated culinary tradition of the north. The Samaritan community of the mountain of the Gerizim, the surviving remnant of the ancient people of the Passover, and the springs of the valley of the mountain complete the deep layered heritage of the old northern capital.
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- Capital
- Ramallah
- Currency
- Israeli New Shekel (ILS)
- Languages
- Arabic
- Calling code
- +970
- Internet TLD
- ps
Entry requirements
Check who can enter →See which passports travel visa-free or need a visa to enter Palestine.
Cities (1)
All cities →Frequently asked questions
What is the capital of Palestine?
Ramallah is the capital of Palestine, and the country sits in Asia.
What currency is used in Palestine?
You pay with Israeli New Shekel (ILS) in Palestine. Exchange rates move day to day, so check the current rate before you change money or use your card abroad.
Which languages do people speak in Palestine?
The languages we list for Palestine are Arabic. A couple of greetings in the local language go a long way when you travel, even in cities where another language is widely used.
What is the international dialling code for Palestine?
The dialling code for Palestine is +970 — keep the plus sign when you save the number.
Which cities in Palestine do you cover?
Our guide lists 1 city for Palestine: Ramallah (capital).