A City A Day

al-Bireh ,  al-Birah  or  el-Bira  ( Arabic :  البيرة ‎) is a  Palestinian  city adjacent to  Ramallah  in the central  West Bank , 15 kilometers (9.3 mi) north of  Jerusalem . [1]  It is situated on the central ridge running through the West Bank and is 860 meters (2,820 ft) above sea level, covering an area of 22.4 square kilometers (8.6 sq mi). Its name means “Water Well,” and is believed to be derived from the biblical Beeroth. Because of its location al-Bireh served as an economic crossroad between the north and south, along the caravan route between Jerusalem and  Nablus . According to the  Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics  (PCBS), the city had a population of approximately 39,202 in the 2007 census. [2]

Ramallah  ( Arabic :  رام الله ‎ Pronounced  Rāmallāh        ( help · info )  is composed of “Ram,” an  Aramaic  word that means “high place or mountain” and “Allah,” the Arabic word for God.) (literally "Height of God") [2]  is a  Palestinian  city in the central  West Bank located 10 kilometers (6 miles) north of  Jerusalem , adjacent to  al-Bireh . It currently serves as the de facto administrative capital of the  Palestinian National Authority . With a population of nearly 27,092, [1]  Ramallah was historically a  Christian  town, but today  Muslims  form the majority of the population, with  Christians  still making up a significant minority.

Nablus  ( Arabic :  نابلس ‎  Nāblus   [næːblʊs]  (   listen ) ,  Hebrew :  שכם ‎  Šəḵem , Biblical  Shechem   ISO 259-3   Škem , Greek: Νeapolis Νεάπολις) is a city in the northern  West Bank , approximately 63 kilometers (39 mi) north of  Jerusalem , with a population of 126,132. [1]  Located in a strategic position between  Mount Ebal  and  Mount Gerizim , it is the capital of the  Nablus Governorate and a Palestinian commercial and cultural center. Founded by the  Roman  Emperor  Vespasian  in 72 CE as  Flavia Neapolis , Nablus has been ruled by many empires over the course of its almost 2,000-year-long history. In the 5th and 6th centuries, conflict between the city's  Christian  and  Samaritan inhabitants climaxed in a series of Samaritan revolts against  Byzantine  rule, before their violent quelling in 529 CE drastically ...

Jericho  ( pron.:   / ˈ dʒ ɛ r ɪ k oʊ / ;  Arabic :  أريحا ‎  ʾArīḥā   [ʔaˈriːħa]  (   listen ) ;  Hebrew :  יְרִיחוֹ   Yeriḥo   [jeʁiˈχo]  (   listen ) ) is a  Palestinian  city located near the  Jordan River  in the  West Bank . It is the administrative seat of the  Jericho Governorate . In 2007 it had a population of 18,346. [2]  The city was occupied by Jordan from 1948 to 1967, and has been held under  Israeli occupation since 1967; administrative control was handed over to the  Palestinian Authority  in 1994. [3] [4]  It is believed to be one of the oldest inhabited cities  in the world. [5] [6] [7] Jericho is described in the  Old Testament  as the "City of Palm Trees." Copious springs in and around the city attracted human habitation for thousands of years. [8]  It is known in  Judeo-Christian  tradition as the place...

Bethlehem  ( Arabic :  بيت لحم ‎    Bayt Laḥm  ( help · info )  or  Bēt Laḥm , lit "House of Meat";  Hebrew :  בֵּית לֶחֶם ‎  Bēṯ Leḥem ,  Modern :   Bet Leḥem ,  IPA:  [bet ˈleχem] , lit "House of Bread;"  Greek :  Βηθλεὲμ , [bɛːtʰleem]) is a  Palestinian  city located in the central  West Bank , neighboring south Jerusalem, with a population of about 25,000 people. [4] [5]  It is the capital of the  Bethlehem Governorate  of the  Palestinian National Authority . The economy is primarily  tourist-driven . [6] [7] The  Hebrew Bible  identifies Bethlehem as the city  David  was from. The  New Testament  identifies Bethlehem as the birthplace of  Jesus . The town is inhabited by one of the oldest Christian communities in the world, although the size of the community has shrunk due to emigration. The city was sacked by the...

Hebron  ( Arabic :    الخليل  ( help · info )   al-Ḫalīl ;  Hebrew :    חֶבְרוֹן  ( help · info ) ,  Standard Hebrew :   Ḥevron ,  Tiberian :   Ḥeḇrôn   ISO 259-3 : Ḥebron );  Ottoman Turkish   Halilürrahman ) also known as  City of the Patriarchs , is a  Palestinian [2]  city located in the southern  West Bank , 30 km (19 mi) south of  Jerusalem . Nestled in the  Judean Mountains , it lies 930 meters (3,050 ft)  above sea level . It is the largest city in the  West Bank  and home to approximately 250,000  Palestinians , [1] [3]  and between 500 and 800 Jewish  settlers  concentrated in and around the old quarter. [4] [5] [6] [7]  The city is most notable for containing the traditional burial site of the biblical  Patriarchs  and  Matriarchs  and is therefore considered the second-holiest city in...

Beersheba  ( / b ɪər ˈ ʃ iː b ə / ; officially  Be'er Sheva ;  Hebrew :  בְּאֵר שֶׁבַע   [beʔeʁˈʃeva] ;  Greek :  Βηρσαβεε ;  Latin :  Bersabee ;  Arabic : بئر السبع ‎  Biʾr as-Sabʿ    (listen)   ( info ) ,  Levantine  pronunciation:   [biːr esˈsabeʕ] ;  Turkish :  Birüssebi ) is the largest  city  in the  Negev desert of southern  Israel . Often referred to as the "Capital of the Negev", it is the  seventh-largest city in Israel  with a population of 196,355. [1] Beersheba grew in importance in the 19th century, when the  Ottoman Turks  built a regional  police station  there. The  Battle of Beersheba  was part of a wider British offensive in  World War I  aimed at breaking the Turkish defensive line from  Gaza  to Beersheba. In 1947,  Bir Seb'a  ( Arabic :  بيئر شيبع ‎), as it was known, ...

Tel Aviv  ( Hebrew :  תֵּל־אָבִיב ;  Arabic :  تل أبيب ‎) is the  second most populous city  in  Israel , after  Jerusalem , with a population of 410,000 and a land area of 52 km 2  (20 sq mi). [1]  The city is located on the  Israeli Mediterranean coastline  in central-west Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the  Tel Aviv Metropolitan Area , home to 3,405,000 residents. [2] The city is governed by the Tel Aviv-Yafo municipality, headed by  Ron Huldai . Residents of Tel Aviv are referred to as Tel Avivim . [3]  As the  United Nations  and most countries do not recognize  Jerusalem  as the capital of Israel, Tel Aviv is home to most foreign embassies. [4] Tel Aviv was founded by the Jewish community on the outskirts of the ancient  port city  of  Jaffa  ( Hebrew :  יָפוֹ   Yafo ; Arabic :  يافا ‎  Yāfā ) in 1909. Je...