Ramallah

Ramallah, a vibrant city located 15 km north of Jerusalem, is the de facto capital city of the Palestinian National Authority.

The city is considered to be a holiday resort with many restaurants, cafes, and a few historic and religious sites.

The city is not visited by many foreign tourists but is popular among weekenders from nearby cities such as Jerusalem due to the hot nightlife that can be found there.

Foreign visitors in Ramallah usually head there for business, humanitarian, political, and religious reasons.

See also

• Ramallah History
• Attractions and Tourism Activities in Ramallah
• Ramallah Safety Reminders

It wasn’t until the 19th century, when Catholic priests came and inhabited the place, that Ramallah grew as a bigger community complete with schools. Other religious groups arrived as well and established their own schools but among the religious groups it is the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) that made a huge mark. In the 1940s a huge influx of displaced Palestinians arrived in Ramallah and many of the city’s native inhabitants started leaving.

Today Ramallah houses most of the Palestinian Authority’s governmental headquarters and is considered to be the most affluent as well as liberal of all Palestinian cities.

If you plan on visiting the city make sure to go see the “hisbeh produce market, the old city, and the plaza shopping center in El-Bireh.

One of the favorite activities among visitors in Ramallah is dining and going out for a drink. Ramallah is popular for its nightlife so it is a good idea to visit at night instead of the day. Another good reason for visiting at night is that it is less congested then.

The old city is the location of majority of the best restaurants as well as the older infrastructure that might be of interest to tourists such as churches, mosques, and schools.

Tourists who want to relax after a little sightseeing should also visit the twin-city of El Bireh to soak in the Turkish bath that can be found there.

It is also pretty easy to enter Ramallah but more difficult to pass Israeli border guards if they know you are headed to the city.

Unless you also have strong anti-Israeli sentiments it is usually best to be discreet and not express your opinion when in Ramallah.