Famous landmarks in Palestinian Territories

The Palestinian territories are two areas of land in the Middle East, in Western Asia: the West Bank, which lies west of the Jordan River and includes East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip, a narrow strip on the Mediterranean coast next to Egypt. Their political status is disputed and is one of the most debated questions in world affairs.

This small region is one of the most historic places on Earth and is holy to Jews, Christians and Muslims. On the globe you can find three famous sites in the Old City of Jerusalem: the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the golden Dome of the Rock and the Western Wall.

Geography and nature

The West Bank is a land of rocky hills, terraced olive groves and deep valleys. To the east, the land drops steeply into the Jordan Valley and down to the shores of the Dead Sea, whose surface is the lowest place on dry land, more than 400 metres below sea level. The water is so salty that people float on it easily. Gaza is low and sandy, with a warm Mediterranean coastline. Summers are hot and dry, and most rain falls in winter.

People, languages and culture

Most people here are Palestinian Arabs who speak Arabic. Most are Muslim, and there are also long-established Christian communities, especially around Bethlehem and Jerusalem. Olive trees are treasured, and olive oil is part of almost every meal, along with dishes such as maqluba, an upside-down rice pot, and knafeh, a sweet cheese pastry linked with the city of Nablus. Palestinian cross-stitch embroidery, called tatreez, is listed by UNESCO as cultural heritage. People dance the dabke at weddings and celebrations.

History in a nutshell

People have farmed this land for over 10,000 years, and Jericho is one of the oldest towns in the world. Over the centuries it was ruled by many peoples, including ancient Israelites, Romans, Byzantines, Arab caliphs, Crusaders and, for about 400 years, the Ottoman Empire. The Dome of the Rock was completed in the late 600s. After the First World War, Britain governed the area. After wars in 1948 and 1967, Israel came to control the West Bank and Gaza. The Palestinian Authority was set up in the 1990s, and the land's future is still unresolved.