You’ve made it to Nablus! Now one of the largest cities in Palestine, it was built here by the Romans near the ancient site of Shechem. Father Juan Aragon from the Latin church welcomes you:

Distance you've covered: 34.1 miles
Elevation: 550m
Population: 250,000
Christian population: 650

Principal churches:

• Church of St Justinus (Latin Patriarchate)
• St Philips (Anglican) - you can watch a welcome message from Revd Jamil Khadir here
• Greek Orthodox
  
• Melkite
  

Economy and culture

Nablus was built by the Romans and modelled on the city of Damascus. It has many beautiful features from that period, including ancient mosques, public drinking fountains and traditional balconies.

Nablus is famous for its desserts, including kanafeh, which is made of sweet cheese and shredded pastry. It’s also known for its traditional soap, produced here since the 10th century and exported across the world.

Christian heritage

The ancient city of Shechem, close to modern Nablus, was a key location through the Old Testament. There God confirmed his covenant to Abram, Jacob settled with his family, and the Israelites gathered under Joshua to confirm their commitment to God.

Shechem is also the location of Jacob’s well, where Jesus spoke to the woman of Samaria. It’s believed that there has been a Christian community here since the beginning of the church. Sadly, numbers have declined as a result of turmoil and occupation in the last century.

Friends of the Holy Land in Nablus

• Over the years, we’ve contributed £125,000 to the Exemption Fund at St Luke’s hospital, enabling the poorest Christian families to access treatment.
• Support for the hospital also provides employment for a significant number of Christians in the area, meaning our funding has double the impact in also providing employment.
• Through the pandemic, we supported families in need to pay their school fees and with basic living costs.

Hear more about the work of St Luke’s hospital below:

Next, we're stopping at Jifna. You might just make it in time for the yearly apricot festival!