Hebron: a first-timer's guide to the city of Abraham

Why visit Hebron

Hebron is holy to Muslims, Jews and Christians as the burial place of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and their wives. Around the shrine lies an old town of stone vaults and covered souqs. Beyond it, the modern city is a busy industrial and trading centre, known across the region for glass, ceramics, leather, shoes and grapes. Few visitors leave without strong feelings about what they have seen.

The Ibrahimi Mosque

The great stone enclosure over the Cave of the Patriarchs was built by Herod the Great, and its walls of huge cut stones still stand. Inside, the building is divided: one part is the Ibrahimi Mosque, the other a synagogue, with separate entrances and Israeli security checks. Visitors should dress modestly, women should cover their hair in the mosque, and the mosque closes to visitors during prayer times. UNESCO listed the old city in 2017.

The old city souq

The covered market streets around the mosque date back centuries and once teemed with trade. Today many shops are closed because of military orders and settlements above the souq, and shopkeepers have stretched nets overhead to catch rubbish thrown down. Walking here with a Palestinian guide, and buying from the traders who remain, is one of the most direct ways to understand life under occupation. The Hebron Rehabilitation Committee has restored many old houses and can explain its work.

Glass, ceramics and keffiyehs

On the northern edge of town, family factories still blow glass in wood fired furnaces as Hebron's craftspeople have for centuries, and showrooms sell bright blue glassware and hand painted ceramics. Nearby, the Hirbawi Textile Factory is the last in Palestine still weaving the black and white keffiyeh, and visitors can watch the looms at work and buy direct.

Grapes and food

The hills around Hebron and Halhul are covered in vines, and late summer brings piles of grapes to every market, along with raisins, grape molasses called dibs and grape sweets. The city's signature dish is qidreh: rice and lamb with chickpeas and spices, slow cooked in a copper or clay pot in a bakery oven and served at lunchtime.

Around Hebron

The Oak of Mamre, in a Russian Orthodox garden, is linked to Abraham's welcome of three strangers. Tel Rumeida, the ancient hill of Hebron, has Bronze Age walls and wide views. The Wadi al-Quff forest reserve is the local picnic spot.

Where to stay

Most visitors come to Hebron as a day trip from Bethlehem or Jerusalem. The city has a few local hotels, used mainly by business travellers, and staying overnight is possible if you want to explore at a slower pace.

Getting there and around

Shared taxis run from Bethlehem to Hebron in about forty minutes. Inside the old city you walk, passing through Israeli checkpoints between the Palestinian and settler controlled areas, so carry your passport. Some streets, including the former main thoroughfare, Shuhada Street, are closed to Palestinians, and your guide will explain where you can and cannot go.

Staying safe

Hebron's old city is the most tense place most visitors will go in the West Bank. Settler harassment, arrests and clashes are common, and conditions can change within minutes. Read your government's travel advice, go with an experienced local guide, avoid Fridays and religious holidays when tensions often rise, stay out of any confrontation, and ask before photographing soldiers, settlers or checkpoints. If that sounds like too much for a first visit, base yourself in Bethlehem and decide on the day.