The main attractions of Palestine: photo and description. Palestine: population, area, capital, history and culture Southern part of Palestine

The State of Palestine was proclaimed at an extraordinary session of the National Council of Palestine on November 15, 1988 in Algiers.

The State of Palestine is officially recognized by many countries (more than 100) and is a member of the League of Arab States. Iceland was the first country in Western Europe to recognize this state in 2011.
Palestine has diplomatic relations with the Russian Federation.
The United States, Israel, Spain, Norway, Sweden and other countries do not recognize the State of Palestine and believe that the possibility of its creation should be the result of direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian National Authority (PNA). The actual military control over a large part of Palestine is exercised by Israel, this applies even to the territory where power officially belongs to the Palestinian National Authority. Large areas in the West Bank, as well as East Jerusalem, are the subject of dispute between Israelis and Palestinians.

Why doesn't Israel recognize the State of Palestine?
Consider Israel's position on this issue.
Israel believes that a proclaimed state does not have a defined territory, as well as a functioning effective government. The Palestinian National Authority (PNA), headed by Mahmoud Abbas, does not control either the Gaza Strip, which is under the rule of the radical Hamas movement, or the West Bank (about 60% of its territory is controlled by Israel).
The Palestinian leadership claims to represent the interests of all Palestinians. But at the same time, it refuses to grant civil rights to Palestinian refugees, including those living in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
A necessary condition for admission to the UN is the recognition of international laws, respect for human rights, and the desire for peace. Israel considers that Palestine does not meet any of these conditions. In turn, the leaders of the PNA have repeatedly stated that their goal is to create a state "free of Jews", which causes rejection by the world community.
Russia supports Palestine's intention to become an observer state in the UN.
Thus, a partially recognized state of Palestine in the Middle East is in the process of being created.

State symbols

Flag- comes from the flag of the Arab nationalists during the First World War during the Arab Revolt of 1916-1918. against the Ottoman Empire. It is a rectangular panel with an aspect ratio of 1:2, consisting of three equal horizontal stripes (from top to bottom): black, white and green, with a red isosceles right-angled triangle at the pole edge.
According to the Palestinian Mission in Germany, black is the color of the Abassids, white is the color of the Umayyads, red is the color of the Kharijites, the conquerors of Andalusia and the Hashemites, green is the color of the Fatimids and Islam. All four colors are considered pan-Arabic colors. The flag was approved in 1916.

Coat of arms- represents the image of the silver "eagle of Saladin" with black wings, tail and upper part of the head, looking to the right and having a pointed shield on the chest, repeating the pattern of the flag of Palestine in a vertical position. In its paws, the eagle holds a cartouche on which the name of the state is written in Arabic. The coat of arms was approved on January 5, 2013.

State structure

Form of government is a democratic parliamentary republic.
head of state- the president.
Head of the government- Prime Minister.

Capital- Ramallah.
The largest city- Gaza.
Official language- Arabic. Hebrew and English are widely spoken.
Territory- 6020 km².

Palestinian Arabs
Population– 4,394,323 people The bulk of the population is Palestinian Arabs, Jews (17% of the inhabitants of the West Bank and 0.6% of the inhabitants of Gaza).
Religion- Muslims predominate (75% in the West Bank, 98.7% in Gaza). Jews practice Judaism. 8% of the inhabitants of the West Bank and 0.7% of the inhabitants of Gaza are Christians.
Currency is the new Israeli shekel.
Political parties and organizations. Hamas (Islamic resistance movement). Founded in 1987. Waging a Muslim holy war (jihad) against Israel, advocates its destruction and the creation of an Islamic theocratic state throughout Palestine and Jordan, does not abandon terrorist methods. The Hamas movement officially opposes any peace deal with Israel. In 2004, the new head of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, obtained from the leadership of Hamas the consent to a ceasefire with Israel.
In 1964 Ahmed Shukeyri created the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), which led the movement for the creation of an independent Arab Palestinian state, carried out armed actions and political speeches. In 1988, the PLO announced its recognition of UN resolutions 1948 and 1967 and, as a result, Israel's right to exist.
Islamic Jihad is an Islamic fundamentalist military organization formed in the late 1970s under the influence of the Islamic revolution in Iran. Seeks the destruction of Israel and the expulsion of the Jews from Palestine. Uses terrorist methods.
There are other organizations and groups (more than 10).
Armed forces- "police forces", numbering from 40 to 80 thousand recruits. They are armed with a limited number of military equipment and automatic weapons. There are also armed formations of individual political groups.
Economy- was based mainly on agriculture, the Palestinians worked in Israel. After Israel closed the borders, more than half of the country's able-bodied population found themselves unemployed in Palestine.
Agriculture: the cultivation of olives, citrus fruits and vegetables, the production of meat and other food products is developed.
Industry: small family businesses that produce cement, clothes, soaps, handicrafts and souvenirs (woodcarving and mother-of-pearl). Israeli settlements have small, modern industries. Most of the electricity is imported from Israel.
Export: olives, citrus and other fruits, vegetables, building stone, flowers. Import: food, consumer goods and building materials.

Education– school education lasts 12 years: from grades 1 to 10 – basic school; Grades 11-12 - high school (professional education). In addition to public schools, there are UNRWA schools, created on the initiative of UNESCO for refugees in Palestine. Education in these schools is given only in the volume of the basic school; then the students go to public schools. Separate schools for boys and girls predominate, but there are also mixed schools. The country has universities, colleges, institutes and vocational schools.

Nature

The West Bank of the Jordan is mostly rugged plateau. The lowest point is the surface of the Dead Sea (-408 m), the highest is Mount Tal-Asur (1022 m). The Gaza Strip is a flat or rolling coastal plain covered with sands and dunes.
The rivers of Palestine are not navigable. The Jordan River flows from north to south and flows into the salty Dead Sea. She is mentioned many times in the Bible. According to the Old Testament, Joshua led the Jewish people on dry land between the miraculously parted waters of the Jordan, ending the forty-year wandering of the Jews in the wilderness. According to the Gospel, Jesus Christ was baptized in the waters of the river. Christians regard the Jordan as a sacred river; since the Byzantine era, there has been a belief that the water of the Jordan heals diseases.

The Jordan River at the site of the events described
Small rivers and streams dry up during the dry season. There is a shortage of drinking water in the country.
Climate Mediterranean, it depends on the height of the location above sea level. Summers are dry, warm or hot, and a hot, withering khamsin wind often blows from the desert. Winters are mild to cool.
Flora: evergreen oak, turpentine tree, olive, pistachio, juniper, laurel, strawberry tree, Jerusalem pine, plane tree, Judas tree, in the mountains - Tavor oak and sycamore (biblical fig tree).

Jerusalem (Alep) pine
Fauna Palestine is poor. Large mammals are almost exterminated. There are foxes, porcupines, hedgehogs, hares, wild boars, snakes, turtles and lizards. There are about 400 species of birds, including vultures, pelicans, storks, owls.

culture

Modern literature of Arab Palestine: outstanding Palestinian poet, laureate of the International Literary Prize "Lotus" Mahmoud Dervish (cycle of poems "Songs of my small homeland", poem "Poems by the glare of a shot"), poets Samih al-Kasem, Muin Bsisu.

Writers and poets of the older generation - Abu Salma, Taufik Zayyad, Emil Habibi. The works of Palestinian writers have been published in Lebanon, Egypt, Syria, in European countries, incl. in Russia.

Ismail Shammut
Fine arts are developing, especially painting and graphics. The most famous Palestinian artists: Ismail Shammut (paintings "The Good Land", "Women from Palestine"), Tamam al-Akhal, Tau-fiq Abdulal, Abde Muta Abu Zeid, Samir Salama (paintings "Palestinian Refugee Camp", "Peace and War ”, “Resistance of the people”). The artist Ibrahim Ghanem has been called the "artist of the Palestinian village". In his paintings, he shows the usual daily work of fellah peasants, their customs and rituals, colorful costumes and dances, landscapes of Palestinian villages filled with sunlight. The painter subtly conveys this deep feeling of his native land and the customs of its people in the compositions “Dancing in the Village Square”, “Harvest”, “Rural Landscape”. The life and work of peasants and townspeople are shown just as sincerely and soulfully in the canvases of the artists Jumarani al-Husseini (“Olive Picking Season”), Leyla ash-Shawwa (“Village Women”), Ibrahim Hazim (“Girls”).

I. Shammut "The female face of Palestine"
Young Palestinian filmmakers have created a number of films: Chronicle of the Disappearance and Divine Intervention (directed by Elijah Seleyman, 2002), Invasion (directed by Nizar Hassan), Chronicle of the Siege (directed by Samir Abdul-la, who works in France), etc. .

UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Palestine

Holy Nativity scene (Bethlehem)

Holy Cave of the Nativity

The greatest Christian shrine, a cave in the rock where Jesus Christ was born from the Virgin Mary.
In the surviving written sources, it was first mentioned around 150. The underground temple has been located here since the time of St. Helena. Belongs to the Jerusalem Orthodox Church.
The birthplace of Christ is marked by a silver star set into the floor and once gilded and adorned with precious stones. The star has 14 rays and symbolizes the Star of Bethlehem, inside in a circle there is an inscription in Latin: "Here Jesus Christ was born from the Virgin Mary." Above this star, in a semicircular niche, there are 16 lamps, of which 6 belong to the Orthodox, 6 to the Armenians and 4 to the Catholics. Behind these lamps, in a semicircle on the niche wall, there are small Orthodox icons.

The silver star under the throne marks the place where Christ was born.

Basilica of the Nativity

Christian church in Bethlehem, built, according to legend, over the birthplace of Jesus Christ. Along with the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, it is one of the two main Christian churches in the Holy Land.
One of the oldest continuously operating churches in the world. The first temple over the Cave of the Nativity was built in the 330s at the direction of Emperor Constantine the Great.

Since then, services here have hardly been interrupted. Modern basilica VI-VII centuries. - this is the only Christian temple in Palestine, preserved intact from the pre-Islamic period.

Other sights of Palestine

In Palestine, there are a lot of places associated with Christianity.

Church of the Holy Sepulcher

The temple stands on the spot where, according to the Holy Scriptures, Jesus Christ was crucified, buried, and then resurrected. The ceremony of the convergence of the Holy Fire is held annually in the temple. The main rights of ownership and use of the shrines of the Temple belong to the Jerusalem Patriarchate, the complex of administrative buildings of which directly adjoins the southwestern side of the Temple.
In addition to the Holy Sepulcher, the temple complex included the alleged site of Golgotha ​​and the place where the Life-Giving Cross was found.

Jericho

Modern Jericho
A city in Palestine, on the territory of the West Bank of the Jordan River. It is the capital of the province of Jericho. Located in the north of the Judean Desert, about 7 km west of the Jordan River.
One of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, it is mentioned many times in the Bible.
To the west of Jericho rises the Forty-Day Mountain (Mount of Temptation, Mount Karantal), where Jesus Christ fasted for forty days, tempted by the devil. Now this place is the Orthodox Monastery of the Temptation.

Monastery of Temptation

In Jericho, according to local tradition, the tree of Zacchaeus was preserved. The fig tree mentioned in the Gospel is located on a site belonging to the Imperial Orthodox Palestinian Society.

The ancient city of Hebron and its environs

Hebron is one of the oldest cities in the world, located in the historical region of Judea, revered in Judaism as the second holiest city after Jerusalem. The most famous historical site in Hebron is the Cave of the Patriarchs (Cave of Machpelah), which is a shrine for Jews, Christians and Muslims. Literally translated from Hebrew, the name sounds like "Double Cave". In the crypt, according to the Bible, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are buried, as well as their wives Sarah, Rebekah and Leah. According to Jewish tradition, the bodies of Adam and Eve are also buried here.
In Judaism, the cave is revered as the second holiest place (after the Temple Mount), and is also revered by Christians and Muslims.

Mount Gerizim

Together with Mount Ebal, Grizim was appointed by Moses for the annual reading of the Law at the national assembly, and here the six tribes of Israel: Simeon, Leviino, Judah, Issachar and Benjamin were to pronounce a blessing on the doers of the Law. Here, on the orders of Moses, the Israelites built an altar of solid stones, on which the 10 commandments of the Lord were carved.

Qumran

This is an area on the West Bank of the Jordan River. The settlement was destroyed by the Romans in 68 AD. or soon after. The settlement, like the whole area, became known thanks to a cache of scrolls located not far from it in the caves of sheer cliffs and below, in the marl ledges. From the discovery in 1947 until 1956, about 900 scrolls were found, mostly written on parchment, but also on papyrus. Extensive excavations have been carried out. Vessels, Jewish ritual baths and cemeteries have been found.
Some scientists believe that the community of the Jewish sect of the Essenes was located here, others suggest the existence of non-religious communities here.

Qumran Manuscripts (Dead Sea Scrolls)

All the Qumran scrolls have now been published. They are stored in the Shrine of the Book in Jerusalem. But there is an opinion that not all the Dead Sea Scrolls fell into the hands of scientists. Of particular interest is the connection between the Qumran manuscripts and early Christianity: it turned out that the Dead Sea Scrolls, created several decades before the birth of Christ, contain many Christian ideas.

City of Nablus (in antiquity Flavia Neapolis)

Modern Nablus
The city has been known since biblical times. In 400 BC. e. it developed into a cultural center and holy city for the Samaritans. Captured by the Romans at the beginning of our era and renamed by them in honor of the emperor Vespasian in Flavius ​​Neapolis, this name in Arabic was distorted into Nablus. The ruins of an ancient temple of the Hyksos have been preserved in the city. The church of St. Anne and the Sidon tombs are of interest.
The city is currently home to about 130,000 people, mostly Palestinians. The majority of believers are Muslims. About 350 Samaritans live in a separate area on Mount Gerizim.

Story

ancient history

The first people on the territory of Palestine were erectus (they lived on the banks of the Jordan River as early as 750 thousand BC and already knew how to make fire). Neanderthals lived here during the Middle Paleolithic. About 9 thousand years ago, Jericho was built here.

Canaan (Phoenicia)

In biblical times, it was a country stretching west from the northwestern bend of the Euphrates and from the Jordan to the Mediterranean coast. Currently divided between Syria, Lebanon, Israel and Jordan.
It arose in the 4th millennium BC. The Canaanite period lasts 2 thousand years before the invasion of the proto-Jewish tribes. According to the Bible, the Hebrew tribes, led by Joshua, invaded the territory of Canaan from the east, and Jericho becomes their first victim. They captured most of the territory of Canaan, the Philistines (Palestinians) were able to overpower them only in the reign of kings David and Solomon.

Roman and Byzantine periods

The Roman period begins in 66 BC. e., when Pompey annexes Palestine, among other territories of the Eastern Mediterranean. Initially, the local Jewish elite welcomed the new rulers, believing that the distant Romans would not interfere in the internal affairs of their country. However, the Romans soon brought to power a more loyal Idumean dynasty, the most famous representative of which was King Herod the Great.
In 395 Palestine became a province of Byzantium. By this time, a strong Christian community had formed among the local population, known as the Jerusalem Orthodox Church. Then, in 614, Palestine was annexed to Persia, the churches were destroyed, and the Life-Giving Cross was taken to Iran. After the victory over Persia in 629, Palestine again became a province of Byzantium.

Arabic period

It lasted from 634. In the X century. control over Palestine passes to the Egyptian dynasty of the Tulunids, who are replaced by the Seljuk Turks, and since 1098 again by the Egyptian Fatimids.

crusaders

In 1099 European Crusaders stormed Jerusalem and the Kingdom of Jerusalem was established. The power of the kingdom also extended to Lebanon and coastal Syria. During this period, numerous castles were built in Palestine in Gaza, Jaffa, Acre, Arsura, Safed and Caesarea). The kingdom fell in 1291.

Ottoman Empire

In 1517, the territory of Palestine was conquered by the Ottoman Turks under the leadership of Sultan Selim I. For 400 years, it remained part of the vast Ottoman Empire, covering a significant part of southeastern Europe, all of Asia Minor and the Middle East, Egypt and North Africa.
Christians and Jews, according to Muslim laws, had the status of "dhimmi" (enjoyed relative civil and religious freedom, but did not have the right to carry weapons, serve in the army and ride horses and were required to pay special taxes. During this period, the Jews of Palestine lived mainly through charitable donations from abroad.
In 1800 the population of Palestine did not exceed 300,000. The main places of concentration of the Christian population - in Jerusalem, Nazareth and Bethlehem - were controlled by the Orthodox and Catholic churches. The Jews were mainly concentrated in Jerusalem, Safed, Tiberias and Hebron. The rest of the population of the country were Muslims, almost all of them were Sunnis.

Zionism

There has always been a strong desire among the Jews to return to Zion and Palestine. Starting from the XII century. the persecution of the Jews by the Christian Church led to their influx into the Holy Land. In 1492, this stream was replenished with Jews expelled from Spain, they founded the Jewish community of Safed.
The first major wave of modern Jewish immigration, known as the First Aliyah, began in 1881.

Theodor Herzl, journalist, writer, doctor of jurisprudence, is considered the founder of political Zionism (a movement that aimed to establish a Jewish state in the land of Israel, raising the Jewish question in the international arena).

British Mandate

The second aliya (1904-1914) began after the Kishinev pogrom. About 40 thousand Jews settled in Palestine.
During the First World War, the "Jewish Legion" was formed, which assisted the British troops in the conquest of Palestine. In November 1917, a document was created declaring that Britain "looks positively at the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people."
1919-1923 – Third Aliyah: 40,000 Jews arrived in Palestine, mostly from Eastern Europe. The economy began to develop. Arab resistance led in 1920 to the Palestinian riots and the formation of a new Jewish military organization, the Haganah.
In 1922, the League of Nations gave Great Britain a mandate for Palestine, explaining this by the need to "establish political, administrative and economic conditions in the country for the secure formation of a Jewish national home." At that time, the country was inhabited mainly by Muslim Arabs, but the largest city, Jerusalem, was predominantly Jewish.
In 1924-1929. - Fourth Aliyah. 82,000 Jews came to Palestine, mostly as a result of a surge of anti-Semitism in Poland and Hungary. Rise of Nazi ideology in the 1930s in Germany led to the Fifth Aliyah, a quarter of a million Jews fled from Hitler. This influx ended with the Arab Revolt of 1936-1939. and the British publication of the White Paper in 1939 which effectively ended Jewish immigration to Palestine. The countries of the world refused to accept Jews fleeing the Holocaust. Together with the British ban on resettlement in Palestine, this effectively meant death for millions. To circumvent the ban on immigration to Palestine, the secret organization Mossad le-Aliya Bet was created, which helped Jews illegally get to Palestine and escape death.
At the end of World War II, the Jewish population of Palestine was 33%, compared with 11% in 1922.

After the creation of Israel

At the end of 1947, according to a UN decision, it was decided to divide British Palestine into an Arab and a Jewish part, with the provision of a special status to the Jerusalem area under UN control. But the Arabs did not agree with the establishment of the State of Israel in the territory they considered theirs. A protracted Arab-Israeli conflict began.
As a result of the first Arab-Israeli war, the territory of Palestine was divided between Israel, Egypt and Transjordan.

Arab activists almost immediately turned to terrorist attacks against Israel. The Arabs were supported by international organizations and the countries of the socialist camp. In 1967, as a result of the Six Day War, most of the territory of British Palestine came under Israeli control.
In 1994, the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) was created, headed by Yasser Arafat. Ramallah became the capital of the PNA.

Yitzhak Rabin, Bill Clinton and Yasser Arafat at the signing of the Oslo Accords, September 13, 1993, Washington
In 2005, Israel evacuated all Jewish settlements and withdrew its troops from the Gaza Strip as part of the implementation of the "Unilateral Disengagement Plan".
The State of Palestine is officially recognized by 134 UN member states and is part of the League of Arab States, but does not have the status of a full member of the UN, since it is not recognized by the three permanent members of the UN Security Council: the United States, Great Britain and France, as well as most of the EU countries, Japan and some others.

The first mention of Palestine, or rather the prototype of the state that was located on the modern territory of Palestine, has biblical roots and dates back to the ninth millennium BC, when the city of Jericho was built on the banks of the ancient Jordan River. And it was with him that the modern history of Palestine began.

The vicissitudes of the fate of Judea or the history of Palestine

If we return once again to the question of the historical right of Jews and Arabs to Palestine, then history of Palestine seems to be a rather tangled "tangle" of a whole chain of historical events starting from the moment of the formation of the Canaanite kingdom, which, according to the Bible, was conquered by the Hebrew tribes under the leadership of Joshua. And then this territory repeatedly changed its owners and patrons, starting from the ancient Roman conquerors and ending with the rulers of the Ottoman Empire.

And today, in scientific and political circles, disputes do not subside, whether this territory is primordially Arab or belonged to Jews from time immemorial. So, until Palestine ceases to be the subject of the military-political interests of the leading world leaders, the question of the statehood of Palestine will remain in limbo, as evidenced by story the last fifty years of the existence of this state.

Capital of Palestine

Based on numerous historical ups and downs, it should be located in Jerusalem. However, the creation of the State of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization led by Yasser Arafat, the realities were slightly adjusted by the UN decision of 1947, the capital of modern Palestine is the ancient Palestinian city of Ramallah, and no less ancient Jerusalem received the status of an open city under the protectorate of the same United Nations .

Population of Palestine

Today, the Palestinian population is just over 4.6 million. And the overwhelming majority are the so-called ethnic Arab Palestinians, who consider themselves the heirs of the Canaanites, whose Arab roots manifested themselves starting from 634, when the Arabs invaded the historical lands of Palestine under the leadership of Caliph Adu Bakr.

State of Palestine

So it turns out purely historically, but the question of whether it is legal from a legal point of view remains open to this day. But a significant part of the Arab countries of the Middle East do not even question this issue and open representations of Palestine in their capitals, unlike representatives of Israel.

Politics of Palestine

Today it is somewhat problematic to talk about what it is. Since for several decades Palestine and its combat units are waging an undeclared guerrilla war against Israel. At the same time, according to some leaders of Palestine itself and a number of Arab countries, he seized part of the territory of this state not recognized by the world community.

Language of Palestine

Officially refer to the Arabic group of languages, which is enshrined in the official documents of this state entity. Taking into account this very moment, it develops and culture of Palestine. However, the realities of modernity make their own small adjustments. Since some part of the Palestinian population considers themselves ethnic Jews, Hebrew is practiced as the language of interethnic communication in Palestine.

Palestine is a sacred land associated with such legendary biblical names as Abraham and Sarah, Joseph and Mary, Jesus Christ, Isaac and Jacob. Every year it is visited by several thousand pilgrims from all over the world.

In addition, Palestine attracts true connoisseurs of antiquity. This long-suffering land has something to offer inquisitive travelers - ancient cities, magnificent temples, ancient landscapes, deep caves and much more.

On the territory of Palestine is located one of the oldest oldest inhabited cities in the world - Hebron. In Arabic, its name is Khalil El Rahman which means "Friend of God". Hebron is a shrine for the three largest mono-religions of the world - Christianity, Judaism and Islam. The city is inextricably linked with the name of the great biblical prophet and the ancestor of many nations - Abraham, who chose Hebron as the place of his residence and the burial place of his wife Sarah.

Hebron is attractive for tourism not only due to its rich historical and biblical heritage, but also due to its external appearance. Numerous winding streets, ancient temples and buildings attract travelers from all over the world.

The name of the city immediately evokes images of the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus, as well as the three wise men who brought sacred gifts to the cradle of the divine child. For Christians, Bethlehem is the most sacred place on Earth, since it was here that Jesus Christ was born from an immaculate conception.

Modern Bethlehem is one of the main tourist destinations in Palestine. Not only numerous pilgrims come here, but also connoisseurs of antiquity. The city is famous for its magnificent temples and palaces, which are true masterpieces of oriental architecture.

The temple was erected in 332 by Emperor Constantine on the site of the cave where, according to biblical tradition, the baby Jesus was born. Unfortunately, the temple has not been preserved in its original form. Only a fragment of the mosaic on the floor and part of the frame remained from it. The present Basica was erected on the site of the destroyed temple in the first half of the 6th century.

In its appearance, the Basilica resembles more a fortress, designed to protect the holy place from invaders and offending believers. The interior of the temple is striking in its luxury. Here you can still see skillfully made mosaics, numbering several centuries in their lifetime.

The main site of the Basilica is the Grotto of the Birth, where Jesus was born. His birthplace is marked with a silver star of Bethlehem on a white marble floor.

On the territory of the city of Beit Sahur, the messengers of God told the shepherds the Good News about the birth of Jesus. Translated from Arabic, the name of the settlement is translated as "field of shepherds." An underground temple of St. George the Victorious was erected at the resting place of the shepherds. In addition, the shepherds themselves and several Christian martyrs who died at the hands of the Persians at the beginning of the 7th century were buried right there.

Karantal is the legendary Mount of Temptation, located next to the ruins of the ancient city of Jericho in the Judean Desert. According to biblical tradition, Satan tempted Jesus Christ here for 40 days.

Karantal is one of the main places of pilgrimage for Christians. Near its top is an Orthodox Greek monastery, built in the distant IV century. The main shrine of the temple is the stone on which Jesus Christ prayed during his forty-day fast.

Not far from the Church of the Nativity is a milk grotto. First of all, it is a place of pilgrimage for women who, for some reason, cannot conceive a child or have problems with lactation.

According to biblical tradition, after the birth of Jesus, Mary and Joseph hid from the soldiers of King Herod the Great in the territory of a secluded grotto. When Mary was breastfeeding her son, drops of milk fell on the walls, turning them milky. It is believed that the powder from the walls of the cave has a miraculous property and helps women solve their problems.

On the territory of the grotto there is an icon of the Mother of God, to which women with problems of conception or lack of breast milk can turn.

This is one of the places of pilgrimage in Bethlehem. Here the saint worked on translating and compiling tests of the Old and New Testaments in Latin. In total, Jerome spent 33 years of his life in the cave.

The cave can only be accessed from St. Catherine. Before entering the holy place, tourists will see stained glass windows depicting the saint in the process of his work.

In the central part of ancient Jericho is the tree of Zacchaeus, which, according to biblical tradition, existed even during the time of Jesus Christ. It was on him, because of his short stature, that the tax collector Zacchaeus climbed to see Jesus, who was heading to Jericho.

This is one of the oldest cities on Earth, which, unfortunately, is currently almost completely in ruins. It has over 10 millennia in its lifetime. Throughout the history of its existence, it has been destroyed more than once and passed from the hands of one conqueror to another. The city is repeatedly mentioned in the Old and New Testaments, which makes it the main place of pilgrimage for Christians and Jews.

On the territory of Jericho, as a result of archaeological excavations, many artifacts, ancient temples and structures were found. Near the city is the legendary Mount of Temptation and the tree of Zacchaeus.

To the east of ancient Jericho, a modern city of the same name was built, which is constantly developing. Local residents are engaged in agriculture and work in the tourist service sector.

This is a legendary place, located among the pine forest, 4 km south of Bethlehem. Solomon's ponds are fragments of hydraulic structures built by King Solomon. Stone reservoirs are quite well preserved, capable of holding 160 thousand cubic meters of water in the past. They accumulated rainwater, which was then supplied to nearby cities with the help of special pumps.

These are the ruins of the palace of Herod the Great, striking in their former power and grandeur. The fortress is located on a hill to the east of Bethlehem. Previously, it had a height of 8 floors. At the foot of the hill there was a terma, a pool, and a palace for persons close to the king.

This is one of the largest structures of ancient Judea. Outwardly, Mar Saba resembles a fortress rather than a monastery. Previously, several thousand monks lived here.

The monastery was founded in the second half of the 5th century by Saint Savva the Sanctified. First, a cave church was erected here, and after the disciples began to arrive here, it was decided to build fortified monastery walls and watchtowers.

To this day, the monastery is quite well preserved. It is worth noting that Mar Saba is a male temple, so women are strictly prohibited from entering here.

This is the winter palace of Caliph Hishiam, which was once a majestic and powerful building. However, shortly after its construction, a major earthquake occurred, which turned the palace into ruins. Currently, only fragments of this once luxurious building are available to tourists. The mosaic floor and wall fragments are well preserved. Of particular admiration is the Tree of Life mosaic, which is an imitation of the famous Persian carpets.

In 1947, in one of the local caves of Qumran, Bedouin shepherds found the most important find - the Dead Sea Scrolls. These are the oldest biblical writings, the significance of which for the world is quite great. Since that time, large-scale archaeological excavations began to take place on the territory of Qumran. Various scrolls and fragments of biblical texts were found, as well as ancient household items. All finds are currently stored in the Israeli Museum - Shrine of the Book.

The formation of a new state is envisaged on the territory of the West Bank of the Jordan River (or part of it, including the territory of East Jerusalem) and the Gaza Strip. The proclamation of the State of Palestine took place on November 15, 1988 in Algiers at a session of the Palestinian National Council, the highest deliberative body of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).

Almost throughout the country, the subtropical climate extends to the entire small territory of the autonomy, although in some places there are areas with a tropical dry and temperate type of climate.

Average temperatures in January are from -6 to +18°С, in July - from +24 to +30°С. Precipitation falls from 100 to 800 mm per year, mainly in winter (from November to March). The greatest amount of precipitation usually falls in December-February.

Summer is long (from April to October), hot and dry. The water temperature of the Dead Sea ranges from +19°C in February to +31°C in August. The average air temperature in autumn and spring is +27°С, in winter +20°С, and in summer it exceeds +35°С.

Story

"A land without a people for a people without a land." To tear the people away from the land of their fathers and grandfathers, deprive them of their homes and scatter them all over the world And it is no secret to anyone that this slogan thrown by the Zionists was only a cover for the execution of colonial plans, the means of realizing which were intimidation and murder, and the purpose of which was to perpetuate dominance of the North over the South.

Archaeological excavations carried out at the foot of Mount Kafar, south of Nazareth, and at the foot of Ramla, not far from Tiberias, indicate that already in 7500 BC. and 3100 BC simple forms of social organization took place in Palestine. The most important event of that period was the foundation of the city of Jericho, which historians consider the most ancient city on earth. The remains of the settlement were discovered near the town of Ain Sultan. At the end of the IV millennium BC. the inhabitants of this area were familiar with copper and used it in their crafts. Therefore, historians called this period the Copper-Stone Age.

The first significant migrations to Palestine date back to the beginning of the 3rd millennium BC. This is the resettlement of the Canaanites, who then began to be called by the area where they settled. After some time, three languages ​​arose: Canaanite, Aramaic (the language of Jesus Christ - peace be upon him) and Arabic. Palestine continued to be called the land of Canaan until 1200 BC, i.e. before the invasion of the Cretan tribes. In the III millennium BC. Abraham (peace be upon him) moved from Hor in Iraq to Palestine. There he gave birth to Ishak, the father of Yakub, who was also called Israel, and to whom the Israelites refer themselves.

At that time, Palestine was part of the Egyptian Empire. There was an active trade between Egypt and Palestine, as evidenced by the Tel Amarin inscriptions found in Upper Egypt.

Palestine witnessed several invasions carried out by the Cretan tribes, who then settled on the coast in the Jaffa and Gaza region. This area was named Palestine after the Cretan tribe that captured these places and mixed with the Canaanites - the original inhabitants of these places. Over time, Palestine began to be called all the coastal and inland lands where the Canaanites lived, who prevailed so that the entire population began to consist of Canaanite Arabs.

After the death of Suleiman - the son of Daud (David) in 935 BC. the kingdom fell apart. In Jerusalem, Judea arose, and in Samaria, the Kingdom of Israel. There were constant tensions and wars between these two kingdoms, and each turned to the Egyptian pharaohs or the Assyrian kings for help against the other. All this contributed to the weakening of each of the Kingdoms, the state power lost control over the masses, there were constant unrest, as a result of which these Kingdoms lasted no more than thirty years.

In 920 BC. The Egyptian pharaoh Shishank captured Judea, after which it became subject to the Egyptian state. In 721 BC the Assyrians captured the kingdoms of Israel and Judah and imposed tribute on them. The Israeli state tried to rebel, but the rebellion was crushed, and most of the inhabitants were taken captive to Iraq. In 597 BC the Chaldean king Nebuchadnezzar undertook a campaign in Palestine and captured Jerusalem, the capital of Judea, and created a new kingdom there, and sent the former Jewish king, his retinue and generals as captives to Iraq. In 586, the remaining Jewish population in Judea rebelled against the rule of Babylon in Palestine. Then Nebuchadnezzar again returned to Palestine, but this time he destroyed Jerusalem, and Palestine again became Arab Canaanite, subject to Iraq. After that, Arab settlers from Syria and the Arabian Peninsula began to arrive in Palestine.

Assyrian and Chaldean attacks resulted in the disappearance of the Jewish state in Palestine after it had existed for four centuries from 1000 to 586. BC, becoming a place of constant unrest, wars and strife.

This period is considered one of the most important in the history of Palestine, since the Jews refer to it when they justify their right to return to Palestine, which they called the "promised land" according to the teachings of the Jews who found themselves in Babylon, and who interpreted their religious books under the influence of longing according to the land on which they lived, and thereby allowed it to be confused with religious teachings. As for the rest of the Jews, such as the Jews of Samaria, the Jews of Hijaz, Yemen, and the so-called. Falashians, they knew nothing about these Talmudic legends, in which the personal is mixed with the religious, and the subjective with the objective.

In 539 BC The Persian invasion of Palestine took place. Before that, the Persians had already captured Babylon. After that, Palestine remained under Persian rule for two whole centuries. Just at this time, the remnants of the Jewish tribes from those that had survived in Babylon returned to Jerusalem.

The victory of Alexander the Great over the Persians was the most important event of the 4th century BC. In 332 BC Alexander captured Syria, Gaza, and Jerusalem, incorporating them into his empire. After his death, the empire collapsed and Palestine fell under the control of Antiochus, who was defeated by the Ptolemies at Gaza in 321 BC. From then until 198 AD. Palestine was under the control of Antioch III, who settled in Syria.

This period was characterized by constant wars waged by various states that existed on the territory of Palestine, such as Macabah, Arab and Nabataean with its capital in Petra. This situation continued until 90 AD, until this territory fell under the power of Rome.

After the occupation of Palestine by the Romans, it became one of the Roman provinces, then went to Byzantium. In the middle of the 7th century AD. Palestine was conquered by the Muslims and became part of the Arab Caliphate.

During the period of Roman domination, Palestine witnessed the birth of Jesus Christ the son of Mary, who was sent to the sons of Israel along with other prophets. However, the Jews slandered him before the Roman governor (this happened in 37) and accused him of unbelief. This was followed by the crucifixion, which is described in varying detail in the Muslim and Christian traditions.

The last attempt to create a Jewish state in Palestine was an uprising raised in 135 by one rabbi. This rebellion was crushed by the Roman governor Hadrian, who occupied Judea and destroyed Jerusalem. On this site he built a new city, where the Jews were forbidden to enter. After this uprising, the Jew did not try to organize any disturbances in Palestine until the onset of the twentieth century, in the middle of which the Jewish state was created, i.e. more than two millennia after its destruction in 586 by Nebuchadnezzar.

In 633, the Proverent Caliph Abu Bakr sent several armies to Syria under the command of Omr Ben As, Yazid Ben Abu Sufyan, Sharhubeil Ben Hasan, Abu Ubeida Ben Jirah. In 634, Yazid defeated the Romans at Wadi Araba, south of the Dead Sea, and pursued them as far as Gaza.

In the same year, Omr Ben As won a great victory over the Romans at the battle of Ajnadin, conquering Fahl, Bisan, Allud and Jaffa. And when Theodore, brother of the Roman emperor Hercules, became the head of the Roman army, Caliph Abu Bakr ordered his commander Khaled bin Walid to move with an army from Iraq to Palestine.

After the death of the faithful Caliph Abu Bakr, Omar Ben Khattab became the head of the Caliphate. He ordered the Muslims who were in Palestine to continue to fight the Romans until the complete conquest of these territories. He ordered Khaled bin Walid to unite all Muslim forces into one army. The battle of Yarmuk, where the Muslim army won a decisive victory, was a turning point in the history of Palestine, since this battle ended the expulsion of the Romans from there.

Patriarch Safroniy put forward the condition that Jerusalem would be handed over personally to Omar ben Khattab (at that time Jerusalem was called Elijah). Caliph Omar arrived in Palestine and wrote a decree according to which Christians were guaranteed the safety of the churches of the crosses, but it was forbidden for Jews to live in the Holy City. Since then, Arab tribes from Syria, Hijaz, Nejd, Yemen began to flock to the territory of Palestine. Soon the majority of the population of Palestine became Muslim, and the dominant language was Arabic.

During the Umayyad period, Palestine was under the rule of Damascus, where Suleiman bin Abdel Malik then ruled. Among the most significant monuments built during this period are the Qubbat al-Sahra building (built by Abdul Malik ben Merwan in the place from where the Prophet ascended to heaven during his miraculous journey) and the Al-Aqsa Mosque, completed by Walid ben Abdul Malik and preserved to the present day. Mention should also be made of the White Mosque and the famous palace built by Suleiman bin Abdel Malik in the city of Ramla.

After the disappearance of the Umeid Caliphate, Palestine came under the control of the Abbasid state. Palestine was visited by Caliph Mamun and his son Mahdi. The period of Abbasid domination was marked by an intensification of the process of Arabization of Palestine, since there was a mixture of the coming Arabs and the natives. In the third century AH, as a result of the weakening of the Abbasid state, most of Palestine, as well as Lebanon, Syria and Egypt, fell under the rule of the Tulunids.

IV century AH is considered by historians as the century of political unrest. During this period, there were attacks on the Syrian lands by corsairs who came from the coastal regions of the Persian Gulf and captured Palestine, causing complete destruction there. After that, Palestine was ruled by the dynasties of Ahshidids, Salijikids, Fatimids. Therefore, this age is rightfully considered the age of anarchy.

Foreign dominion returned to Palestine at the end of the 11th century. At that time, Europe was going through huge political, economic and social problems. Poverty worsened, there were not enough resources, the population grew, the contradictions between kings and feudal lords, between kings and the Pope intensified. Therefore, a trip to the East seemed a convenient way out of the situation. Moral mobilization began with a sermon by Pope Urban II in 1095, in which he called on the masses to liberate the Holy Sepulcher from Muslims and cleanse Jerusalem of them.

The first campaigns, which then continued for about two centuries and which became known as the crusades, were led by Peter the Hermit. He captured Ramla, destroyed Jaffa and laid siege to Jerusalem with forty thousand troops. After a month-long siege, the small Egyptian garrison surrendered. In 1099, the crusaders entered Jerusalem, destroying, by most estimates, about seventy thousand of the city's Arab population.

The crusaders announced the creation of the Latin kingdom in Jerusalem, and their power extended to Ascalan, Bisan, Nablus, Akka. They also established themselves in Tiberias.

After fierce battles with the crusader garrisons, the Muslim commander Nureddin Zanki managed to return some cities and principalities. Saladin al-Ayyubi consolidated his success. After the famous Battle of Hattain, he regained Jerusalem in 1187.

During the reign of the Mamluks, Seyfuddin Kataz and Zahir Baybars managed to repel the Mongol invasion by winning the battle of Jalut (near Nazareth) in 1259. This battle became one of the most striking victories of the Muslim army.

In 1516, the Ottoman Turks defeated the Mamluks at the Battle of Marj Dabiq, not far from Aleppo, and entered Palestine, which since then has come under Ottoman rule for four centuries.

Napoleon also tried to capture Palestine (after the capture of Egypt). However, under the walls of Akka, he failed, and was driven back from the city as a result of the courageous resistance of the local garrison, headed by Ahmed Pasha.

In 1838, the governor of the Turkish pasha in Egypt, Muhammad Ali, tried to expand his possessions at the expense of Syrian lands. His son Ibrahim was able to take El Arish, Gaza, Jaffa, and later Nablus and Jerusalem. However, popular uprisings arose in Nablus and Khalil, caused by Ibrahim Pasha's cruel treatment of the local population and exorbitant taxes. Due to popular unrest, the power of Muhammad Ali in Palestine lasted less than ten years, after which Palestine again returned to Ottoman rule.

After the British under the command of General Allenby defeated Turkey, their troops entered Palestine in 1917. And from that year Palestine became a British mandate until 1948, when the British left Palestine, clearing the way for the Jews to create their own state called Israel. With the assistance of England and America, the Zionist gangs managed to defeat the Arabs in the war of 1948 and announced the creation of the state of "Israel" after its absence from Palestinian land, which lasted more than two thousand years.

Britain sent a Royal Commission to Palestine, whose task was to establish the causes of unrest and propose measures to fulfill the terms of the mandate. The Commission submitted a report which concluded that the reason for the Arab uprising was that the Palestinians wanted independence and rejected the establishment of a Jewish national home in Palestine. The Commission recommended that the Mandate over Palestine be terminated by dividing the country and replacing the Mandate with a system of agreements similar to what was done in Iraq and Syria, as well as the creation of two states: one Arab, including the eastern part of Jordan and the Arab part of Palestine, which was determined by the commission, and the second is Jewish in that part of Palestine to be determined by the Commission. At the same time, it was pointed out that both agreements should contain strict guarantees for the security of minorities in both states. Both agreements were also accompanied by annexes on the creation of land, naval, air forces, and on the preservation of infrastructure: roads, ports, oil pipelines.

The commission also proposed that a third zone be organized outside the borders of both states, which would include Jerusalem and Bethlehem. A corridor should lead from this zone to the sea, ending at Jaffa in the north and also to the cities of Alludu and Ramla. This zone was to remain a Mandated Territory, which was not subject to the provisions of the Balfour Declaration, and in which English was to be the only official language. The commission proposed that the Jewish state pay compensation to the Arab state for the loss of land. Naturally, the Arabs rejected the proposal of the Commission. As for the Jews, despite the fact that they were offered to create their own state, they also rejected the proposals of the Commission, since they were at odds with the provisions of the Balfour Declaration, which promised them all of Palestine.

On September 13, 1937, British Foreign Secretary Eden presented to the League of Nations a draft of the partition of Palestine and proposed that a technical commission be sent there to develop a detailed partition plan. Due to the refusal of the Arabs and Jews, the implementation of this plan was postponed. Then the Americans and the British intensified their efforts to convince the Arabs to agree to this idea, creating for this in 1945 a joint British-American commission for the implementation of the project, also relying on the plans of Morisson and Bevin from 1946 and 1947.

The third recommendation, which in this case interests us most, recommended that Palestine be divided into an Arab and a Jewish state. The boundaries of the Arab state were to run from the Western Galilee and Mount Nablus and the coastal plain extending from Asdod south of Jaffa to the Egyptian border, including the Khalil region, the Jerusalem Mountains and the southern part of Jordan. The area of ​​the Arab state was supposed to be 12 thousand km 2. As for the territory of the Jewish state, it included Eastern Galilee, Marjbenamir, most of the coast, as well as the areas of Beersheba and the Negev. The area of ​​this state, including the most fertile lands, was to be 14.2 thousand km 2. As for the Holy Places, they were to be placed under international trust, and a special trusteeship committee at the UN was to appoint a non-Arab and non-Jewish administrator.

At a meeting of the UN General Assembly on September 23, 1947, it was decided to submit the project for consideration by a special commission, which would include representatives of all member states, as well as representatives from Jews and Palestinians. The Palestinian representative rejected the project after showing the historical roots of the Palestinian problem. In turn, the Jewish representative agreed with the project, while demanding that Western Galilee and the Jerusalem region be included in the Jewish state. On November 29, 1947, the draft section was submitted to the vote and approved by 33 votes in favor to 13. Ten states abstained from voting. On March 15, 1948, Great Britain announced the end of its Mandate for Palestine and the evacuation of its troops in August of the same year, while confirming that it ceased to perform all military and administrative functions.

That same year began the calamity of the Palestinian people, whose history is marked by great sacrifices and unparalleled heroism. There is no doubt that the history of the Palestinian people did not end and will not end with this catastrophe.

Landmarks of Palestine

Jericho is the oldest city in the world, located 260 meters below sea level. The city is famous for a large number of historically valuable monuments. It was in Jericho that most of the ancient buildings were discovered, including the world's oldest staircase and fortifications dating back more than 7,000 years. Two kilometers from Jericho are the ruins of the palace of Hishiam, built by order of the Umayyad Caliph Ibn Abul Melik and previously serving as a winter palace, consisting of the caliph's chambers, the guards barracks, a mosque and pools. Looking down, you can see the richly mosaic floor of the palace. In addition, Jericho is the most important agricultural area, where juicy fruits and healthy vegetables grow all year round.

Hebron is one of the most densely populated ancient cities in the world, located south of Jerusalem at an altitude of 1000 m above sea level. The city bears the Arabic name Khalil El-Rahman, which means "Friend of God" in translation. Hebron is a truly holy city, which is visited with pleasure by both Jews and people of the Christian and Muslim religions. The city has a lot of old stone buildings, temples and winding narrow streets where you can easily get lost, but these are the features of Hebron that attract thousands of tourists from all over the world. The main shrine of Hebron is El Khaaram, shaped like a fortress and erected over the cave of Machpelah. Prayers of Jews and Arabs are constantly performed inside the building.

One of the most beautiful coasts of the Dead Sea is Hof HaKane, which means "reed" in translation. Getting acquainted in more detail with the southern coast, you can see that it is replete with springs and thickets of reeds, but some of its territories have turned into impenetrable swamps due to the large amount of water. As a result of rapid drying, the northern part of Hof HaKane turned into a deserted and dry area, where the compressed blocks of the Dead Sea formed bizarre, unusual shapes that boggle the imagination. Tourists in Hof HaKane are attracted by walking on healing mud, however, when performing these procedures, you must be as careful as possible, since drainage has provoked many underground cavities and failures.

Nabi Mussa Mosque, which means "Prophet Moses" is one of the main gathering places for pilgrims, famous for its magnificent medieval Islamic architecture. In the 6th century, on the site of the cave where Jesus Christ lived, the monastery of Deir Karantal was built. According to the Bible, it was here that Jesus Christ spent forty days without water and food, rejecting the temptations of Satan. From Mount Temptation, located 350 m above sea level, the Jordan Valley opens up, and although the route to the monastery is rather difficult, the impressions received are worth the effort.

Cuisine of Palestine

Palestinian cuisine is an integral part of the Arab culinary tradition, with many of its own characteristics. Contrary to popular belief, local cuisine is not as hot and spicy as it is commonly believed. But mint, a variety of greens and herbs, lemons in all forms, onions, pickled olives, pine nuts, etc. are added to food everywhere. All kinds of salads, meat and vegetable stews, pastries with various fillings, pickles and pickled vegetables are popular among snacks , as well as the famous dishes of finely grated peas with greens - "falafel" and "hummus", eggplant "mutabbal" paste, spicy pea paste "thenia", as well as various greens.

Meat dishes are based on chicken, lamb and veal, usually served with rice or potatoes. The most popular are the peculiar flatbreads with meat and greens "shavarma", stewed lamb "mensaf" with a sauce of fermented milk products "laban" and rice garnish, lentils "adas" with chicken and onions in lemon juice, thick meat soup with garlic, rice and lemon juice "Mluhiya", chicken "musakhkhan" fried in olive oil (served with flatbread and onion sauce), vegetables stewed in a special way with meat or poultry "makluba", grilled meat "shish kabab", cold cuts "mashavi" and others

Sweets produced in Palestine and Jordan are considered among the best in the Arab world. There are cookies sprinkled with sesame seeds, the famous "canafa" (knafe) with cheese, "gataef" pies, "kaek bi aiveh", "zhavafa" ("zhauafa") guava dessert, excellent ice cream, various candied fruits and hundreds of other types of confectionery.

Tea and coffee are traditional drinks. In Palestine, as well as in Turkey, there are a huge number of tea and coffee shops. Palestinians like to relax after work with a cup of tea, which will certainly be served with a whole dish of sweets. After tea, they usually rest, smoke a pipe or a hookah. Coffee is often served without sugar at all, but it is of good quality and cardamom is often added to it. Traditionally, coffee is served with a glass of cold water (for drinking). Coffee can be black ("kahwa arabia") or brown ("wasat", slightly less roasted coffee beans are used).

Palestine and Israel are undeniably the most bizarre states in the world. Let's start with the fact that a small handful of Jews who survived the Second World War were able to receive the largest indemnity at that time from Germany, for the total destruction of the Jewish nation. But, the same handful of Jews received a fair amount of territory on the site of an ancient state, long forgotten by everyone and mentioned only in connection with biblical events. Then Jews from all over the world came to these lands, fulfilling the long-standing dream of their people - having found the Promised Land. In a few years, using the power of money and weapons, this piece of land has turned into a sovereign powerful independent.

As for the map of Palestine and Israel, the borders of these states. Naturally, the Arabs did not really like the fact that a new state was formed, and they declared war on the Jewish people. But he repulsed the attack of the Arab army, moreover, he went on the offensive and defeated the entire Arab army on his head. But, you need to know the Arab people, they did not accept defeat, because the whole point, in principle, is how to accept defeat from a people who never have their own lands and territories.

And therefore, in the division of territories to this day, they do not make any concessions and compromises, since they cannot bear such a humiliation of the entire Arab people. The division of territories is still going on between the Arab world and the Jews. From the side of Palestine, there are constant performances by Arab extremists and shelling. Most likely, the Arabs still hope that in the near future, at the cost of various efforts, they will erase from the map of Palestine and Israel - a strange formation - Israel.

As for Palestine itself, this state is even more mysterious and interesting. Palestine today has become so accustomed to the image of a fighter against Israel, so imbued with this spirit of struggle against the Jewish state, that it is unlikely that it will be able to live today in a different way - without wars, calmly.

But, at the same time, mutual confrontation does not prevent the Arab population from working in Israel, and from having and using the state.

But, as for the tourist map of Palestine and Israel, its merits should be appreciated by all tourists without exception. Since everything is marked on the map, so are Palestine, popular tourist routes, biblical places. Moreover, on the map of Palestine and Israel, not only large cities and the main Israeli resorts are marked in all details, other settlements, rivers and reservoirs, as well as states neighboring Israel and Palestine are also marked. In addition, using the map, you can find out the administrative structure of Israel and Palestine.

The map of Palestine and Israel clearly shows that Palestine is divided into several geographical areas - the Coastal Plain, which is located in the Mediterranean Sea, Galilee - in the northern part of the country, Samaria - the central part, located north of Jerusalem, and Judea - the southern part of Palestine, in which includes Jerusalem. And one more area - the eastern bank of the Jordan River - Transjordan.

By the way, exactly the same geographical concepts are mentioned in the Bible. Today, the territory of Samaria and Judea is more often called the West Bank of the Jordan River, this name is more commonly accepted in Russian-language sources. If you look at the map of Palestine and Israel, then it displays not only the administrative division of the state, but also the landscape and geographical position. For example, on the territory of Samaria, Galilee and Judea, there are also mountain groups, valleys and deserts.

The map to the south shows the mountainous Judean plateau, in the center of the state - the Samaria mountains, and a little further away - Mount Tabor, the famous skiing - Hermon, the famous Mount Carmel, where the prophet Elijah lived in a cave. Here on the map you can see all the water bodies of the countries - and Lake Tiberias, which is located below sea level and the Dead Sea - a unique body of water located 418 meters below sea level. The Dead Sea is the deepest land basin on earth.

The Gaza Strip - by decision of the United Nations - is a part of the territory that was specially allocated for Arab Palestine. As you can see on the map of Palestine and Israel, the Gaza Strip is located on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. The eastern and western borders of the Gaza Strip are with Israel, and the southwestern with Egypt. If we talk about the area of ​​the Gaza Strip, then it is approximately 360 square kilometers, while the length is 50 kilometers, and the width of the Gaza Strip ranges from 6 to 12 kilometers. Between Palestine and Israel there is an agreement signed in Oslo, according to which the state of Israel fully provides military control and military protection of the airspace of the Gaza Strip, as well as some of its borders on land and at sea, that is, territorial waters. Today, most of the population of Palestine - the Gaza Strip - are refugees who once left the territory of Israel during the wars. On the territory of the Gaza Strip, the population density is at the level of Berlin in Germany, which is about 4 thousand people per square kilometer.

But, nevertheless, the main advantage of the map of Palestine and Israel is that on it you can look at and see detailed diagrams of different Palestinian autonomies - Tel Aviv and Eilat, Nazareth and Bethlehem, Tiberias and Haifa. By the way, the most famous tourist places for tourists are necessarily displayed on the map, all tourist routes are indicated for sights and holy places, for historical monuments and architectural ones. For example, on the map you can easily find a popular exotic farm in Tiberias where crocodiles are grown - Hamat Gader. Here, on this farm, you can see a fascinating and sometimes shocking crocodile show.

Using a detailed map of Palestine and Israel, you can easily get to any locality in the country without any problems and difficulties. The map clearly and clearly depicts road communication schemes in Israel, gas stations are indicated, as well as roadside cafes and restaurants, shops and all interesting places that you should definitely visit when traveling through the amazing and unique country of Israel.

By the way, on many maps that are sold for tourists, including on the map of Palestine and Israel, all firms and offices that are engaged in car rental or rental are indicated, and therefore this issue is removed from the agenda, since with the help of maps, you can easily find such a firm or office.

Among other things, the map of Palestine and Israel displays all the necessary telephones, Internet points, e-mail addresses of various firms and companies, as well as a brief description of a particular area and information about the country. On the map you can also find hotels and hotel complexes, restaurants and cafes that are popular among tourists.

I must say that for many travelers a map is a kind of guide to the country, as well as a storyteller about its sights, historical places, a brief historical reference book, a “navigator”, and, of course, a guide who will tell about cities and towns, about roads and routes, about the history of the country and its present.