The International Youth Exchange Program (Zajel) of An-Najah University’s Public Relations Department, recently organized its fourth cultural walking tour of Nablus for school and university students and graduates.

Zajel’s cultural walk of Nablus is an immersive walking tour. It aims to take its participants off the beaten track to get a unique glimpse of Nablus and its most iconic historical and religious sites.

Participants will be armed with information, knowledge and confidence to guide international visitors who visit Palestine and continue exploring this long-standing city to introduce international delegations to spots where locals go every day.

The four-day walking tours aimed to discover the beautiful Palestinian city of Nablus and introduce the school and university students to its social, economic, political and cultural life and heritage.

Organizing such cultural tours and activities plays a huge role in promoting cultural lifting of local population, the development of internal tourism, reviving local cultural values and developing national creativity and traditions.

It also plays a significant role in addressing social class disparities among participants from different cultures and backgrounds as well as bridging the divide.

Nablus is one of the largest cities in the West Bank with an ancient and noble history. The cultural tours included a series of field trips to a number of the historical and religious sites in the city.

The tours included the Old City of Nablus with its beautiful labyrinth of buildings dating back to the Ottoman period. Through the tour, the tourist guide introduced the students to the Old City’s craft, cultural and community centers. The participants visited the ancient olive oil soap factory, the famous Old City spice shops and the oldest Turkish Baths in the region.

The cultural tour was concluded with a visit to Balata Camp, Joseph’s Tomb and Jacob’s Well. The participants also went to the Samaritan village and visited the Samaritan Museum to learn about the Samaritans’ culture, heritage and traditions.