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The West Bank: Ten reasons to put it on your travel bucket list

February 16, 2021January 21, 2024dzgallivanter

The day I told people I was going to the West Bank, I got incredulous looks and moments of silence before I heard someone saying “Wow! Interesting choice of destination! Are you sure it’s safe to go there?”.

In reality, I was also skeptical. What’s meant to be a land of spirituality, holiness and historical richness has been in the midst of the biggest political crisis and under occupation for decades.

However, once you set foot there, it’s a different story. You will find it hard not to be moved by the myriad of beautiful landscapes, the spiritual magnetism of the place and the generosity of the Palestinians.

If the West Bank hasn’t made it to your travel bucket list yet, here are ten reasons why it should whether you are looking for a spiritual journey or an adventure to satisfy your curiosity.

1. The Old City of Jerusalem: A historical journey inside its walls

Bab el-Amoud/ Damascus Gate – One of the eight entrances to the Old City of Jerusalem.

As you step inside the 16th-century Ottoman wall surrounding the Old City of Jerusalem, you get transported back into the pages of history, where past civilisations lived and layers of ancient architecture and monuments still stand.

The Old City is a labyrinth of small alleyways filled with traditional souks and colourful merchandise. It’s divided into four quarters: Armenian, Christian, Jewish and Muslim – each with its own style.

The Muslim quarter is the most vibrant with its small eateries and street markets. Like its neighbouring Armenian and Christian quarters, it has preserved its traditional character. The Jewish quarter, on the other hand, has lost its historical style to a modern look.

2. Jerusalem: Home to some of the holiest sites in the world

Holy Sepulchre – Devoted worshipers kneeling at the stone that’s believed to be the place where Jesus was anointed after being crucified

Most people visit Jerusalem for spiritual reasons, and the ones who don’t can still sense its spiritual magnetism through its religious sites and devoted pilgrims. The Old City of Jerusalem is home to a plethora of religious sites that are of great significance to the three Abrahamic faiths.

Whether you’re visiting for religious reasons or not, it’s hard not to be moved by the sight of Muslim worshipers flocking the doors of the Al-Aqsa mosque (Dome of the Rock) at prayer times; Christian pilgrims kneeling at the stone on which Jesus was anointed inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre or Jewish supplicants wailing at the Western Wall.

***3. Sunset from the Austrian Hospice***

The Austrian Hospice is a Christian guesthouse, situated in the middle of the Muslim quarter in the Old City of Jerusalem. It was built in 1854 for pilgrims by the Archbishop of Vienna, who still owns the institution today.

At sunset, you can witness beautiful views, from its rooftop, of the sun settling down slowly over the limestone buildings of the Holy Land, whilst listening to the call to prayer echoing from different angles – a perfect place to unwind after a long day of sightseeing.

4. Bethlehem: A biblical jewel

Bethlehem is one of the most touristic cities in the West Bank. It’s flooded with Christian pilgrims and non-religious tourists alike who come to visit the birthplace of Jesus.

The city is dominated by a unique limestone architecture, traditional souks and a relaxed atmosphere. The heart of the city, Manger Square, is filled with tourist groups and local by-passers admiring the surrounding religious sites such as Church of the Nativity, Milk Grotto and Omar Ibn al-Khattab Mosque.

The old part of the city is filled with bazaars, eateries and food markets where visitors can admire colourful artisan work and watch the daily life of Palestinians.

5. The Wall of Separation: A first-hand look at the struggle of the Palestinians

The Wall of Separation is a living reality of the Palestinian struggle, and depending on which side of the wall you stand, you will hear a different story- a wall of apartheid versus a security barrier.

To the Palestinians, it’s a wall of apartheid and occupation that affected many families economically and emotionally when they lost their lands. To the Israelis, it’s a security barrier. The reality is that it’s a giant and ugly concrete wall twisting like a serpentine separating the West Bank from the rest of the country.

Opposite the Walled Off Hotel in Bethlehem, the wall has been turned into a canvas for artists and non-artists alike to express their hope for a resolution, dismay of what is happening and feelings of oppression.

6. Ramallah: A cosmopolitan city inside a turmoiled region

Ramallah is the administrative capital and the most vibrant city of the West Bank. The street leading to the crowded Manara Square – with its iconic four-lion statues – is filled with nice smells of freshly baked bread and coffee waft coming from shops.

It’s home to the Yasser Arafat museum and mausoleum, which is an inspiring place to look at over 100 years of Palestinian history and to get an insight into the life of the late Palestinian president.

Mahmoud Darwish is another museum to visit, on the hilltop of Al Masyoun. It was built in tribute to the famous Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish.

7. Nablus: The little Damascus of Palestine

The city of Kunafeh, olive oil and soap factories is nestled in a valley between Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal. Its old city is a labyrinth of narrow Ottoman-style alleyways filled with colourful vegetable stalls, spices and coffee shops.

Visitors can also go to Mount Ebal for beautiful views over the city, and Mount Gerizim to get an insight into the culture and history of the Samaritan community – one of the oldest and smallest religious communities in the world and which consider Mount Gerizim as a sacred place.

Nablus is also home to Jacob’s Well, which is believed to be constructed by prophet Jacob. Today, it’s found inside a Greek-Orthodox Church with a quiet lush garden. According to Christian tradition, it’s the place where a Samaritan woman gave Jesus a jug of water.

8. El-Khalil (Hebron): Home to al-Haram al-Ibrahimi and a living example of Israeli settlements inside the West Bank

El-Khalil (Hebron) is an interesting city to visit not only because it’s home to al-Haram al-Ibrahimi, but it’s also the place where the impact of illegal settlements can be seen in the heart of its centre.

The alleyways of its old city are covered with metal nets and plastic sheets to protect shop owners and by-passers from the garbage and stones thrown at them by the settlers, who occupy the houses above the shops.

The old city feels like a ghost town, as most shops are now closed. The ones that remain open are; however, a delight to shop from and look at beautiful embroidered materials and local artisanal products.

Al-Haram al-Ibrahimi is the key site in El-Khalil. It’s believed to be the resting place of prophet Abraham and his family, hence its great significance to all three Abrahamic religions and the reason for the tensions inside this city. It’s split into two parts with a wooden door and a bullet-proof window; one part for Muslims and the other for Jewish people.

9. Culinary richness of Palestine

Palestinians take pride in their gastronomic landscape and consider it part of their identity and heritage. A Palestinian culinary experience is an attraction that you can indulge in small eateries or fine dining restaurants. The dishes vary in style from Mezzas, to meaty mains like Maklouba and delicious deserts like Kunafeh.

10. Hospitality of the Palestinians

The Palestinian hospitality is famous in the Arab world and it’s very real. As a visitor, you will be flooded with warmth and invites for coffee or tea, which sometimes gets extended to dinner invitations. Don’t be surprised or alarmed by these gestures – hospitality has been a trait of the Palestinians for generations. Nowadays, it’s a way for them to tell their story over a drink or a meal.

Dubai Metro: Where are all the women?!

January 3, 2021April 6, 2021dzgallivanter

It’s just after 6pm on a Saturday evening. I’m standing in the middle of a packed Metro carriage going from Dubai Marina to Burj Khalifa. I suddenly realise that there isn’t a single woman in my compartment or even in the next one. I start to wonder if women actually take the Metro here or if it’s just a coincidence that I’m travelling at a time when no other woman in Dubai decided to take this train! What are the odds?!

I carry on with my journey as normal. No one says anything to me, which is a good sign. I get the odd stares from now and then, which makes me feel uncomfortable. Someone offers me his seat, which I kindly decline, as funnily enough the seat has a “Do not use” sign due to Covid-19 restrictions.

I finally get to my destination and on the way down the escalator, I see few women. What a relief! Women do take the Metro! It’s just that there aren’t many of them and by coincidence they were all in a different carriage. After all, the population density here is quite small and it’s likely that there are more men than women.

Ok! I’m satisfied with the explanation that my brain has just produced. So, I carry on with my evening as normal – shopping, dinning and enjoying the water fountain shows next to Burj Khalifa.

On my way back, I get on the last carriage of the Metro. Head down busy reading the news on my phone when I suddenly hear a female voice saying “Excuse me sir, you are in the wrong carriage. This is a women and children only carriage!”. Aha! I lift my head up and see the carriage full of women apart from the one guy, who seems to be a young British tourist. He blushes and disappears so quickly to the next carriage whilst mumbling some apologies.

My dilemma has finally been resolved. It felt like finding water in the middle of the desert! Women do take the Metro in Dubai. It’s just that they prefer to use the female-only carriages, which were originally intended for use during rush hour.

Due to their popularity, they became permanent, which seems to be a welcome move as you hardly ever see any woman on the mixed carriages. They are well posted with pink signs – at least for those who lift their heads up and look around!

As much as I’m relieved to know that I wasn’t the only woman on the train and that I was just on the wrong part of it, I wonder if the segregation is actually a good idea and why it’s so popular!

Whatever the reasons, I have to admit that I felt more comfortable in the female-only carriage – at least you don’t get the odd stares. One thing for sure though is, if you’re still single in Dubai, the Metro is definitely not the place to meet your future partner!

In the Casbah of Algiers – A journey into the past

October 17, 2020October 18, 2020dzgallivanter

It’s the end of a sunny and warm December morning. Behind me is the crowded Martyrs’ square buzzing with street vendors, and in front of me is the famous Ketchaoua mosque with its outstanding fusion of Moorish and Byzantine architecture.

Ketchaoua mosque – built before 1612 during the Ottoman era.

I’m standing in the middle of the street, with an almost empty handbag, listening to the call to prayer echoing from the surrounding mosques and watching worshipers flocking the Ketchaoua doors.

I can feel people looking at me strangely. It’s clear I’m not from the area and they are probably wondering why I’m standing here, at the foot of the Casbah of Algiers, with one leg to the front and another to the back.

A street in the lower part of the Casbah.

It’s been over 10 years since I last set foot here. At the time, I visited the Casbah with my parents as it wasn’t considered safe to go there alone, but today I want to explore it by myself. I want to see what has become of this old quarter of the city.

The Casbah of Algiers is the oldest quarter of the city, nestled on top of a hill with white washed houses overlooking the Mediterranean sea. It has been an unsafe quarter for tourists and locals alike for decades during the civil unrest in Algeria – pretty much like the rest of the country, but has recently started reshaping itself with various renovation projects and guided tours.

An alleyway in the lower part of the Casbah.

El-Casbah, as the locals call it, is full of historical and religious sights. A walk through it feels like a journey in the past. It’s been inhabited since at least the 6th century BC by the Phoenicians and has been the heart of the capital since the Ottoman era as seen from the plethora of palaces and mosques scattered across its alleyways. During the Algerian revolution against the French occupation, it played an essential role as a base for planning and hiding.

An old Ottoman palace converted into the museum of miniatures and calligraphy.

I start my walk in the lower part of the Casbah, which has a number of ancient Ottoman palaces like Dar Aziza and Dar Hassan Pacha – all within a short walking distance from each other. They were built in the 16th and 18th centuries by the Deys and Pachas of Algiers, and have very similar moorish architecture, which dominated the region at the time.

In the centre of each palace is a marble courtyard with a fountain in the middle to keep the house cool during the hot summer days. The rooms are split across two floors surrounding the courtyard, and the walls are decorated with different types and colours of faience that give each palace a unique style.

Dar Mustapha Pacha alone is covered with more than 500000 Italian and Dutch faience mostly coming from Delft in the Netherlands. Dar Khedaoudj el-Amia, which was originally the palace of Ahmed Rais then the home of Hassan’s Pacha daughter, is now home to the national museum of arts and popular traditions.

Inside the palace of Mustapha Pacha.

As I was admiring the grandeur and style of a wooden door in one of the alleyways, I suddenly hear someone asking me “Do you know why the knock handle is so high up?”. “No” I reply. So, he continues “during the Ottoman era, the nobles used horses to go around. So, to avoid getting off their horses to knock on doors, they placed the knock handles high. You can also see that there is a large and a small door – the large one is for people coming on horses”.

An Ottoman-style door of one of the old palaces.

The man then walks few steps towards the end of the alleyway and points at a sign with two hands carved in the top corner of the wall explaining that it was used to mark the streets inhabited by Muslims. It’s amazing how people here are very eager to share information about the history of the place, their struggles and the way they live.

The sign at the top corner of the wall was used to mark the streets inhabited by Muslims.

From the Ottoman era, I move to a more recent period of the Algerian history. I’m now in front of the museum of Ali la Pointe, located in the middle part of the Casbah, which was the house where four famous freedom fighters got blown up during a raid of the French military, as they refused to surrender.

The entrance to the museum of Ali la Pointe with the painting of the four martyrs on the side.

The alleyway leading to the museum is decorated with colourful street art and Algerian flags including a painting of the four martyrs. As I look around, I get flashbacks from the famous Gillo Pontecorvo’s 1966 black and white movie – the Battle of Algiers, which was shot here and is a true recreation of the Algerian uprising against the French occupation.

The alleyway leading to the museum of Ali la Pointe.

My next stop is Sidi Abdarrahmane mausoleum, which is a mosque, a mausoleum and a graveyard where some very notable people have been buried including patron saint Sidi Abdarrahmane. It was built in 1696, and today it’s a place of worship and spiritual connection. The view from here is breathtaking with the mausoleum’s white dome and minaret, emerging from behind the trees, overlooking the blue sea and clear skies.

The view from Sidi Abdarrahmane mausoleum.

It’s now mid-afternoon. The streets are not very busy in this part of the Casbah, apart from the men sitting by their front doors watching passersby, kids playing football in a courtyard and a group of men playing dominoes.

Kids playing football in one of the courtyards.

The afternoon here seems to be long and enjoyable. Someone once told me “In Europe, you have watches, in Africa we have time”, and he couldn’t be more right as you can clearly see people here enjoying the slow movement of the day.

A man sitting by his front door enjoying the quiet afternoon in one of the alleyways.

I continue to walk up the alleyways until I reach the Palace of the Dey at the top of the Casbah, which was completed in 1596 and was once the second largest palace in the Ottoman Empire. During the French occupation, it served as a military base for the French army. As much as I want to spend more time strolling through the alleyways of the upper Casbah, I need to head down to Bastion 23 (Palais des Rais) before it closes.

Bastion 23 is a magnificent historical monument with three palaces and five fishermen houses, built in 1576 by the famous corsair Barbarosse. A walk around it gives an evocative insight into how the Deys and corsairs lived during the Ottoman era.

Fishermen houses inside Palais des Rais (Bastion 23).

“If it wasn’t for a group of people who sponsored its renovation, this palace wouldn’t exist today” tells me one of the guards. The monument is indeed well refurbished compared to the other palaces and certainly the alleyways I walked through earlier today.

As I step into the terrace overlooking the blue sea, I see the canons surrounding its walls and start to picture how this place looked back in the 17th and 18th centuries when Algeria had one of the most powerful and feared fleets in the Mediterranean.

As I leave the Casbah behind me and start walking along the bay, I suddenly wake up to the sight of a beautiful sunset settling down in the horizon. I stare in awe and wonder if this place will ever be buzzing with tourists, or will it continue to be a destination for the daring ones who want to travel through its memory lanes and enjoy its unspoilt beauty.

Or, will it be for people like me who want to explore the homeland they once left behind. After all, this trip may not have been to satisfy my curiosity of what had become of a place I visited a long time ago but most probably to settle the feelings of nostalgia from self exile.

Robben Island – South Africa’s symbol of freedom and foregiveness

September 27, 2020October 17, 2020dzgallivanter

It’s just after 9am as we leave the busy V&A Waterfront behind us and head towards Robben Island – an island unlike others that is famous not for its turquoise blue waters and expensive hotel chains, but for its role in reshaping South Africa’s political history and the struggle against apartheid.

Robben Island has been a place of imprisonment and isolation for centuries starting from the time when the Dutch arrived in the 17th-century to when the British took control. In the second half of the 19th-century, it became a leper colony before turning into a military base during World War II and then a maximum security prison during the apartheid regime in the 20th-century.

Today, it’s an island with a very small population that includes tour guides and their families. It opens its doors to tourists who want to learn about the struggle against apartheid and see the place where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 18 years before becoming the first black and democratically elected president in South Africa.

To many in South Africa and abroad, Robben Island is a symbol of forgiveness, triumph over adversity and most importantly freedom. As Ahmed Kathrada (prisoner 468/64 1964-1982) put it “We want Robben Island to reflect the triumph of freedom and human dignity over oppression and humiliation.”

As we arrive to the island, we are welcomed by clear blue skies and the sound of screaming seagulls guarding its shoreline. We are then escorted to board buses, which once used to transport prisoners, and today serve as the island’s tour buses. Our bus; number 2, we are asked to remember so we know which one to board at the different tour stops, is guided by a former political prisoner who returned to work in the island years after being released.

Island’s tour buses which once used to transport prisoners.

Our first stop is the limestone quarry, where prisoners were forced to work and dig up stones for years. It’s around 11am now; the sun is high in the sky and scorching hot – a perfect setting to picture part of the struggle the prisoners lived when breaking stones under the burning sun. In the middle of the quarry lies the cairn of stones laid by Nelson Mandela and former prisoners on their first reunion in the island in 1995, as a memorial to their hard work and daily life back then.

After a short stop at the military bunker, we board our buses again towards the maximum security prison. As we arrive, we are greeted by a new guide who takes us on a tour around the different sections of the prison he once was a prisoner in. The prison was split into 4 sections: A, B, C and D. Each section was dedicated to different groups of prisoners based on their race and sentence.

The tour around the prison is probably the most emotional and distressing one. As we start our walk in a long dark corridor and listen to the stories from our guide, it’s easy to picture the suffering of the political prisoners back then.

The cells on either side of the corridor have cemented floors, a tiny window; covered with iron bars, and two doors: a metal one with bars on the inside and a thick brown wooden door on the outside. They are all very small; as Mandela put it in his Long Walk to Freedom “I could walk the length of my cell in three paces. When I lay down, I could feel the wall with my feet and my head grazed the concrete at the other side.”

“This is Mandela’s cell”, our guide tells us, so we all queue eagerly to take a peek through the closed iron door. It looks the same as all the other cells. On the floor is a straw mat he used to sleep on, a small side table; with a metal cup, a plate and a spoon, and an iron sanitary bucket.

Our guide Sama seems open to answer any questions we have, but I’m finding it hard to ask about the past, especially after walking around the cells and seeing what had become of these former prisoners. Their faces still bear the scars of past struggles, their bodies are frail and their eyes are weak from all the hard work and sharp light in the quarry.

“Even diet was discriminatory and was subject to apartheid regulation” Sama tells us holding a board with the breakfast menu, which was split into 2 sections: group B for the coloured (mixed race) and Asian prisoners, and group C for Bantus (Black Africans). The latter had smaller sizes and less content. “We were told that our bodies don’t need sugar and require small portions only since we were thin” Sama continues with a smirk in his face.

Our guide showing us the food menu split into 2 sections: one for the coloured and the other for black Africans.

After completing the tour in the inside of the prison, we step into the courtyard, which has a small garden on the side. “This is where Nelson Mandela used to grow tomatoes” Sama tells us. “He also used to hide his journals, which later turned into A Long Walk to Freedom, under the soil”, he continues.

It’s almost 1pm, the tour has ended and we are rushed back to the ferry terminal, after passing by the souvenir shop where I grabbed a couple of books: “A Long Walk to Freedom” by Nelson Mandela and “Robert Sobukwe how can man die better” by Benjamin Pogrund. “Robert Sobukwe was a very important icon in the struggle against apartheid. He’s not very famous like Mandela, but his work was equally important” the guide tells me – I cannot wait to read the book.

On the way out of the maximum security prison.

The entire trip has been emotionally challenging but equally inspiring to see how these ex-political prisoners turned a big tragedy that took their youthful years into something positive. They used their years in prison to educate themselves and plan for a better future despite the harsh conditions. Today, they continue to educate visitors about the meaning of freedom, forgiveness and perseverance.

It’s certainly not easy to go back and work in a place where one was humiliated for years. One needs a big heart and a wise soul to take that step. This is not just about Nelson Mandela who changed the face of South Africa, but it’s also about all former political prisoners who still live there and use that experience to educate the world.