“Palestine Heritage Trail” .. Activists and tourists walk from Hebron to the outskirts of Jerusalem
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Among forest trees overlooking vast forests to the right and left, and through winding roads up and down, and beside fertile plains, and fresh water valleys, springing from among the rocks and mountains, groups of Palestinian activists and foreign tourists are walking a distance of (60) kilometers from the far south of the city of Hebron in the southern West Bank. Al Gharbia, to the town of Battir in the western countryside of Bethlehem, located 8 km from the Holy City of Jerusalem.
As soon as activists and tourists arrive in the town of Battir, the sound of gurgling water is heard coming from fresh springs within mountainous rocky gatherings, called “Ain al-Balad”, located in the middle of “Batir”, where it originates from the mountains and flows downward to pour into a submerged pond in a cave, part of which is It is built in the rock, and the other part was built by the people of the town in the past, to drain the water channels inside the paths of the agricultural terraces, which date back to two thousand years.
Over the course of continuous hours, dozens of activists and tourists travel between mountains and valleys, agricultural and fresh water terraces, and historical and archaeological sites and monuments, defying all forms of suffering due to Israeli restrictions through barriers, the borders of settlements that swallow Palestinian lands, as well as the gates of the apartheid wall.
The Palestinian track
- moving between the pillars of the Canaanite civilization in “Batir”, comes within the “Palestine Heritage Path”, which is supervised by Palestinian activists in the West Bank, to confront the plans and settlement projects in “Batir”, the villages and towns of the West Bank and the city of Al-Quds Al-Sharif, and to preserve landmarks Archaeological and historical sites of looting and settlement.
Director of the "Palestine Heritage Trail" George Rechmawi told "Emirates Today", in an exclusive interview, "The path includes introducing the culture of Palestinian society, environmental and natural diversity, as well as conveying the repercussions of occupation and settlement practices on the land and population."
Rechmawy continues by saying, "Thanks to the tours of the Palestine Heritage Trail, local and foreign hikers are able to witness the nature of the country and its archaeological and environmental sites closely, as locals learn about the natural and aesthetic scenes and places, and foreign tourists learn about historical archaeological sites, and the reality of Palestinians under occupation."
According to Rechmawi, the heritage path starts from the town of Surif, far south of Hebron, and passes through 17 Palestinian towns and communities in Palestinian cities, to the town of Battir, west of Bethlehem.
Non-Stop
Tours - Walking tours between the beautiful nature and historical civilization in ancient Battir continue after taking a rest, and hosting for traditional West Bank food, inside the many Palestinian homes rooted in the place.
Groups of activists and tourists are returning to move again, between pomegranate and olive trees and vineyards, to Wadi Al-Makhrour, which extends from the town of Beit Jala in Bethlehem to Battir, which is a tourist destination to attract tourists, as it abounds with natural scenes from fresh water springs. , caves, and mountains. To the north, it overlooks a valley through which the first railway passed through the town, which witnessed the first train journey in the year 1895, in addition to embracing agricultural terraces planted with apricot trees.
“I will tell you the story of Palestine, to make you yearn for my country, and I see you always visit it every time.” Before moving on to the walking path, the community tour guide on the Palestine Heritage Trail, Ayat Dardoun, addresses the participants in the Palestine Heritage Trail, including foreign and Palestinian tourists and activists.
Tourist guide Dardon, a resident of the town of Dura in Hebron, tours Palestinian villages and towns, to provide a detailed explanation for tourists and activists about the history of Palestinian towns, while introducing them to their natural and historical landmarks.
Dardoun says, “We absolutely believe in the necessity of preserving the Palestinian identity of all Palestinian towns and villages in various regions of the West Bank and the Holy City of Jerusalem. In order to revive our historical heritage, we document tangible and intangible heritage within walking tours of the Palestine Heritage Trail, with the participation of groups of activists and tourists.” .
She added, "As part of the walking path tours, we encourage the local economy of the residents of Palestinian villages and towns, as they visit factories and handicrafts, including soap shops, in areas famous for their manufacture, most notably the cities of Hebron and Nablus."
The community tourism activist pointed out that tourists and activists travel within the heritage path tours between historical archaeological sites such as the Al-Mawaraq Palace, which dates back to the Roman era, and the tourist groups visit Palestinian homes located within the path of the path, where their owners host them to eat traditional meals, such as Maqluba and Musakhan, and that According to the tour guide Dardon.
Battir, with a built-up area of 420 dunums, despite being besieged by bypass streets and settlement sites that distort its picturesque nature and archaeological landmarks, has defeated all occupation practices to confiscate its lands and displace its residents, thanks to the recognition by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization “UNESCO” of its natural and human heritage. It was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2014.
After that, Battir, inhabited by seven thousand people, came back to achieve a joyful victory for Palestine and its cities, by registering the first Palestinian tourist path registered on the list of world tourism, thus attracting attention to it again, to host thousands of foreign and Palestinian tourists in the arms of its picturesque nature, and water terraces. and agricultural archaeological.
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