Nablus City My Place
Nablus City My Place
Nablus City My Place
MY PLACE NABLUS
PALESTINE
MY PLACE NABLUS
All materials used in this Brochure have been contributed by the partecipants
of the project My Place Nablus
Roba Nayfeh
Arkan Arjan
Faisal-Abu-Samra
Mohamed Nouman
Mostafa Shakhshir
Nisreen Ardah
Angham Ibrahim
Anna Clementi
Ahmad Suroje
Malak Afune
Maram Salim
Desmon O Sullivan
Salah Din Hannun
Rasmi Arafat
The admission of Palestine as an official state member of UNESCO has marked the
recognition of the importance of its historical and artistic heritage. This can be a
reason to invite international authorities and organizations to focus on the issue
of enhancement of the Palestinian historical heritage and in particular on Nablus
old city as one of the most beautiful and important sites of this land as well as one
of the most destroyed and abandoned today. The importance of Nablus it lays in
the mix of different culture and civilizations that contributed to the building of its
roads, palaces and mosques and made it a unique example of Architecture, Art and
Archaeological heritage. Its position as cross point for important trade route made
also its cultural tradition a valuable example of multicultural expression of toler-
ance and coexistence in the Middle East. We can still find today number of vestige
of its past but under a heavy layer of destruction and abandon, due to the on going
conflict and the disinterest of the international community. Although this difficulties
there are few local association and institution and some international NGO who,
conscious of this urgent needing are working for creating a restoration plan for the
old city. The best wish is the inclusion of its inhabitants in a process aiming to help
the local community to regain possession of this precious heritage. One of those
institutions is the Nablus municipality who together with a group of scholars and Ar-
chitects has recently published a plan for restoration of the old city aiming to attract
investors who can fund project for rebuilding and adjust the old city. The following
is a part of the conclusion of this study:
Generally the most important value of the old city can be found in its configuration.
These configuration may be comprehended and described best by the public space.
Squares, streets and paths are, without doubt, the oldest and most lasting elements of
a city. Made narrower or wider, overbuilt or disclosed here and there they have lasted
through the centuries. The pattern of the Roman city can still be read in some parts despite
the impetuous social and political changes through the ages. This assembly of streets
and paths must be preserved in its whole structure, or even restored if necessary. The
core of the city with its furrows and grooves is the essential building monument []
The project MY PLACE is inspired by this needing of study and research about the
past of the city to encourage local population to valorize their cultural heritage. The
target groups of this action are the youth of the city who see the valorization of their
heritage as one the best investment for their future. The project is a starting point of
a wider strategy aiming to support their initiatives in media production to highlight
their cultural heritage and to encrease its visibility in their society. The spread of
the new media among younger generations along with the freedom of information
are among the fundamental pillars of democracy processes in contemporary world.
The knowledge of the historical past and the enhancement of cultural heritage are
important elements to develop multiculturalism and cultural openness together
with the construction of a national identity.
MY PLACE NABLUS
Area of ruins Bad physical condition Comparatively good condition Cultural Heritage Historical Gardens Signicant Border
Nablus History and heritage
The current centre of the city of Nablus it follows the urban structure of Flavia Neapolis,
the ancient Roman city founded in 72 AD in the valley between the two mountain of Iqbal
and Gerezim. Part of this citys structure is still visible in the two main decumani crossing
the historic market and intersected by narrow dense thistles that are repeated in succes-
sion along the two streets.
Traces of structures and infrastructure of the Roman period are still visible within the
city and along the perimeter around it, as a partially preserved Theatre, the roman Nin-
phaeum, an aqueduct and an Amphitheatre. During the course of centuries and the sub-
sequent domination the city has experienced moments of intense economic develop-
ment and other neighbourhoods where built next to the original city. Most of the roman
monuments were reused, for example the bigger temples and basilicas they become first
churches and then mosques in a very interesting fusion of techniques and architectural
styles that we find in few other Middle Eastern cities. The four springs near Nablus, gov-
erned first by the Roman, aqueducts and cisterns, had helped to make the city even more
lush and rich. There are 18 fountains in the historic old city some of which date back to
the XVII century. Most of these fountains are still working and in many cases they became
beautiful examples of Islamic art.
The general appearance of the city in its present form is due to the seventeenth century,
with the consolidation of the Ottoman power thanks to the support of some local Arab
families. Its architectural and decorative style in spite of numerous additions and recon-
structions of later centuries and especially in the nineteenth century, is still dominated
by historical buildings, in which several techniques and decorations schemes of previous
centuries are reused in an eclectic way harmonizing the structure in the urban context.
MY PLACE NABLUS
The old city of Nablus most visible monuments
nowadays belongs to the Ottoman period and
they where built on the crusader and Mama-
luk city. Among these buildings are the Turk-
ish baths (Hammam). The town is very famous
for its Hammam, out of the thirty-eight Turkish
bath of historic Palestine where in Nablus but
only two of them are now still functioning in
the traditional way. In the XVII - XVIII Centuries
Nablus was an important Ottoman city, the lo-
cal governors where powerful and important
families who left us some examples of their
huge palaces. Private houses with walls like
fortress surrounding one or more court yard
as typical of Arab homes.
The importance of Nablus as a privileged and
strategic trade center increased intensely
over the centuries, the presence of four cara-
vanserais, sites dedicated to the merchants
and the storage of their goods, is a testimony
of this important role. From the four hinges
positioned khans in the historic center were
leaving the typical products of the city of
Nablus for being resale in three different con-
tinents. The production of cotton carpets,
made from cotton, growing once in the vast
fertile area on the outskirts of Nablus, has cer-
tainly played a major role and the cotton tex-
tile industry was interested in all markets in
the Middle East coming up in Europe. Another
important industry linked to the massive ol-
ive oil production is the soap manufacture,
a thriving industry, developed mainly during
the nineteenth century, whose cultural and
economic value cannot be ignored. Within
From top to bottom : the urban structures others important archi-
A typical decoration from ottoman tectural buildings in fact are the olive oil soap
period factories. Of the 32 factories once active in the
Al-Shifa Bath urban context, unfortunately only two are still
Tuqqan Soap Factory working, because of the difficulties of trans-
port and trade in goods for production and
the limitations imposed by the occupation.
Some of these historic structures were totally
destroyed, others have suffered serious struc-
tural damage others have been converted
into shops, offices, or used as spaces for social
activities.
MY PLACE NABLUS
During the twentieth century modern new buildings were made inside the old city, not al-
ways respecting the continuity of architecture and urban shape, sometimes breaking alti-
tude or using inappropriate materials and techniques. The Municipality of Nablus has-been
engaged in a large rehabilitation program, works are been Carried out in haste with the aim
of responding to the immediate humanitarian needs of the population but with little consid-
eration for the heritage values of the historic urban fabric. Modern technologies and mate-
rials seem to have been used extensively and recent unauthorized additions constructed.
The current state of conservation of the rich architectural heritage inside the Old
City is precarious but not permanently compromise. The abandonment of the old
town by the resident population is unfortunately reason to decline for the entire
urban context, several buildings have unfortunately closed and destined to de-
cline, the cultural value of many sites of historical and artistic interest is not always
recognized by the people, thus increasing the risk of destruction and vandalism.
According to the reports by UNESCO Missions to Bethlehem, Nablus and Hebron (May
2004), the cultural heritage of the Old City of Nablus has suffered Extensive losses, due
to April 2002 military operations: hundreds of buildings were affected, while sixty-four
were severely damaged, seventeen of which has been considered of particular heri-
tage significance thanks to an inventory prepared by the Graz University in 1997-2002.
Four buildings were completely ruined, and their sites turned into heaps of rub-
ble or cleared away, creating open and dusty scars in the historic urban area. An-
other military operation from 15 December 2003 to 6 January 2004 brought fur-
ther top damage at Qaryun neighborhood resulting in the complete destruction of
three residential houses, while another thirty-five buildings were rendered inhab-
itable and Abdel-Hadi Palace was hit by mortars and also affected by Explosions.
The old city of Nablus can be considered
a cultural treasure not only because it is a typi-
cal example of medieval eastern cities of the
Islamic world, but also because is a living place
continuously developing and moving from one
civilization to another. This city is not only rich
by the intangible heritage of the peoples tra-
ditions, cultural life, habits and behaviors, it is
also very important for its architectural values
a buisy street of the old city market
with a number of buildings well representing
the architectural local Palestinian style said
us the Architect Naseer Arafat. Despite politi-
cal instability, neglect, and the Israeli occupa-
tion, the city of Nablus city is a living, place,
the city markets crowded by citizens and
merchants, with their colorful fragrant goods,
with their hospitality and kindness encourage
the small number of foreign visitors to enjoy
the typical flavors of the Palestinian tradition,
like the famous local Knafa, a sweet cheese. a knafa sweet shop
MY PLACEMYPLACENABLUS
NABLUS
In 2002,
Israeli forces planted explosives
which completely destroyed two
Soap Factories in this area
MY PLACE NABLUS
Al - Gharb
4
1
Al - Habaleh
Al - Yasmena 2
Al - Qaryun 3
Al - Qaisaryya
Al - Qasbah
CASES STUDIES
Al - Yasmena Square
MY PLACE NABLUS
Al - YASMENA SQUARE
East-West Elevation
MY PLACE NABLUS
Tuqan Palace
MY PLACE NABLUS
TUQAN PALACE
North Elevation
MY PLACE NABLUS
East Elevation
MYPLACENABLUS
MY PLACE NABLUS
Hashim House
MY PLACE NABLUS
HASHIM HOUSE
This house can be consider one
example of courtyard houses
belonged to middle class family of the
old city.
iIts situated in the Al-Qaryun
neighbourhood and is called Hashim
house after the name of the family
who built it, one of the oldest families
of the city.
Hashim house was built between
in the second half of XVIII century
and has historical importance as an
expression of the old architectural
style in Palestine and for being built
upon the site of the ancient roman
Ninfeum the ruin of which is possible
to see trough the windows of the
room on the left side of the entrance.
Hashim house
groundfloor courtyard
survey, west side
MY PLACE NABLUS
Hashim house
groundfloor courtyard
survey , south side
MY PLACE NABLUS
AL - NIMER PALACE
East Elevation
MY PLACE NABLUS
AL-HABALEH SQUARE
South Elevation
MY PLACE NABLUS
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