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- Hebron district map
Name and Location:
Hebron is one of the oldest cities in the world, with a history that goes back more than 6,000 years. Our Master Abraham (peace be upon him) settled there about four thousand years ago, and it was named "Al-Khalil" (The Friend) after “Khalil al-Rahman” (Friend of the Merciful). It contains his tomb and that of his wife Sarah, and later of his family: Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Lot, and Jonah. Thus, Hebron is the second-holiest city in Palestine for Muslims. It also contains the tombs of many companions of the Prophet, most notably the martyrs of the Battle of Ajnadayn.
In ancient times, Hebron was known by several names: "Qiryat Arbaʿ" (Village of Four), referring to the union of four Canaanite tribes, and "Hebron," which means gathering, agreement, and companionship. It is not a Hebrew word.
Hebron is a deeply rooted city and among the oldest in the world, as shown by archaeological excavations at Tel Rumeida in 1964, which date back to 3500 BCE. Its early inhabitants were the Amorites.
Among the most important archaeological discoveries at Tel Rumeida is a cuneiform tablet containing an economic text with the names of four Amorite figures, and pottery jars inscribed with the name "Hebr" (Hebron).
The city is connected to our Master Abraham (peace be upon him), who purchased the Cave of Machpelah and buried his wife Sarah. The lower part of the Ibrahimi Mosque's structure dates back to Herod's reign (37–4 BCE). The site reflects remains from the Early Bronze, Middle, and Late Ages (3200–1200 BCE), the Iron Age (1200–589 BCE), and in the Greek and Roman periods (332–60 BCE), the inhabitants of Tel Rumeida left the site, and settlement began around the Cave of Machpelah.
The city was built by the Canaanite Arabs and was named "Qiryat Arbaʿ" after its founder Arbaʿ, who was the father of ʿAnāq and the greatest of the Anakim, who were described as giants.
The large wall surrounding the Ibrahimi Mosque is a remnant of a structure built by Herod the Edomite, in whose final days Jesus (peace be upon him) was born. The balconies on the wall, however, are Islamic. In 1948, armed Zionist organizations occupied part of the Hebron District, which includes 16 villages. They occupied Hebron itself in 1967 following the June War.
Hebron is located southwest of Jerusalem, 36 km away. Its elevation ranges from 930 to 1,027 meters above sea level. It is linked by a main road to Bethlehem and Jerusalem and lies on the central route that connects the Levant with Sinai.
The city’s central location made it a trading center since ancient times. It has always been surrounded by agricultural land and is famous for grape cultivation, which ranks first among its fruit trees. It also grows figs, almonds, apricots, grains, and vegetables.
Area:
The area of Hebron in 1945 was 2,791 dunums. It is surrounded by the lands of Bani Na'im, Sa'ir, Halhul, Beit Kahil, Tafouh, Dura, al-Rihiya, and Yatta. Hebron is known for its handicrafts, soap-making, cotton weaving, glassmaking, and leather tanning.
Population:
In 1922, the population of Hebron was estimated at 16,577. In 1945, it reached about 24,560. In 1967, it was 38,300. In 1987, it rose to 79,100. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, in 1997 the population reached 119,093, and in 2007 it reached 163,146.
Muslims opened Hebron in the year 13 AH / 636 CE. The caliphs cared for it because it contained the tomb of our Master Abraham (peace be upon him). The city gained further importance due to its association with the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), who before his death granted it to the companion Tamim al-Dari.
The Umayyads gave special attention to the city: they built the Ibrahimi Mosque and shrines over the tombs of the prophets and placed markers over them. Their attention to Hebron was surpassed only by their interest in Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Dome of the Rock, and Jerusalem.
During the Abbasid era, Caliph al-Mahdi constructed an entrance at the northeastern wall, 3.5 meters high, and installed a small iron gate for the sanctuary. Under Fatimid rule, architectural developments were added to the Ibrahimi Mosque, including visitor accommodations around the mosque and the building of the Ibrahimi Takiyya (public
kitchen) beside the mosque. The sanctuary continued to shine throughout the Islamic era before the arrival of the Crusaders.
In the Ayyubid era, after Salah al-Din liberated Jerusalem and Hebron from the Crusaders, he built the mosque’s dome and moved the pulpit from Ashkelon to it in 1191 CE, one of the finest pulpits added by
Muslims. Later, King al-Muʿaẓẓam ʿIsa (1180–1226 CE) expanded the mosque by adding a new arcade. They also maintained the Ibrahimi Takiyya, which continued offering free meals to worshippers, ascetics, and guests—a service still active today.
During the Mamluk era, the rulers paid great attention to Hebron and established many public and private buildings. Among the most famous are the Mamluk Bathhouse, Sultan’s Pool (built by Sultan al-Malik al-Mansur Qalawun in 682 AH / 1283 CE), in addition to structures inside and outside the Ibrahimi Mosque, like the Jawali Mosque, various Sufi lodges (zawiyas) like the Shaykh Ali al-Bakka Zawiya, the Takiyyas, and the schools such as the Sultan Hassan School, the Qaymariyya School, and al-Fakhriyya. Hebron became a hub for the postal route between Damascus and Cairo.
In 1517, the city came under Ottoman rule, and attention was given to public utilities such as caravanserais (khans), public fountains (sabils), bathhouses (ḥammāms), and other facilities. Most of the homes in the Old City date back to the Ayyubid, Mamluk, and Ottoman periods. The Old City consists of several quarters, including the Bani Dar quarter, al-Qazzazin, al-Sheikh, and the Kurds’ quarter, among others.
In 1917, Hebron came under the authority of the British Mandate. The people of Hebron participated in all the revolts against the British and the Jews, most notably the Al-Buraq Revolt in 1929. The city fell under Israeli occupation in 1967.
The Israeli occupation authorities established colonial belts around the city and colonized the heart of Hebron. They also built settlements within Arab neighborhoods, including: "Beit Romano," "Hadassah (al-Dabboya)," and the Jewish Quarter "Tel Rumeida" on the eastern outskirts of Hebron. The settlement of "Kiryat Arba" is one of the largest settlements established by Israel. There are more than 20 settlements in Hebron, built on lands confiscated by the occupation authorities for this purpose.
Israel established Kiryat Arba as the first settlement in the West Bank. After it was established, the settlement expanded into the heart of the city in an attempt to Judaize it and forcibly and violently displace its residents. Four settlement outposts were established, containing about 200 settlers, guarded by 1,200 soldiers. These settlements are:
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Ramat Yishai – Tel Rumeida
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Beit Romano – Usama bin Munqidh School
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Avraham Avinu – the old vegetable market
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Al-Dabboya building
The Jews were not content with building these settlements; they also divided the Ibrahimi Mosque and prohibited the call to prayer from being made there. They installed electronic gates at its entrances and committed a massacre against worshippers inside the mosque on February 25, 1994, killing 29 martyrs. They closed Shuhada Street to residents and fragmented the city’s neighborhoods from one another.
To preserve the Arab and Islamic identity of the Old City of Hebron, to prevent settlement expansion in the city’s heart, and to safeguard its cultural heritage, the Hebron Rehabilitation Committee was formed by a decision of the late President Yasser Arafat in 1996. The committee works on restoring and rehabilitating public and private buildings, as well as streets and infrastructure—efforts that have encouraged residents to remain steadfast in the face of Israeli settlement expansion.
Twin Cities:
The Hebron Municipality is proud of its twinning agreements with the following cities:
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Pisa – Italy
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Belfort – France
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Córdoba – Spain
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Fez – Morocco
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Casablanca – Morocco
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Medina – Saudi Arabia
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Genoa – Italy
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Arcueil – France
Traditional Industries in Hebron:
Traditional Palestinian industries hold a special place among the sectors of Palestinian industry due to the cultural and economic dimensions they carry. On one hand, they reflect the history and culture of the Palestinian people and embody their continuous presence on the land through successive civilizations. On the other hand, these industries form a genuine source of national income development if properly utilized and developed. While Palestine lacks abundant valuable natural resources such as gold and oil, being a cradle of divine religions and the birthplace of many civilizations has made it a destination for tourists and pilgrims of all sects and denominations.
Traditional industries have long been associated with the tourism sector. As such, this sector has experienced periods of expansion and contraction since the Israeli occupation in 1967. It has often faced stagnation due to the negative impacts of occupation policies, including repeated closures imposed by the occupation authorities, along with tax and administrative obstacles that have hindered the marketing of traditional products.
Since the establishment of the Palestinian National Authority, developmental policies have aimed to address key issues in the Palestinian economy, foremost among them unemployment and the provision of job opportunities to raise the living standards of the Palestinian people despite limited financial resources. These policies emphasized the importance of developing and promoting small projects capable of creating more job opportunities with less capital.
Traditional industries in Palestine are classified into about seventeen crafts, including: ceramics, traditional hand-blown glass, pottery, hand embroidery, rugs, hand-woven carpets, olive wood products, mother-of-pearl, bamboo, straw, wax, mosaics, among others. However, the main categories are as follows:
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- Ceramics industry
Ceramics Industry:
The history of ceramic production in Hebron dates back no less than 400 years. The Turks were the first to introduce this craft to Palestine during the restoration of the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Today, Hebron is considered the leading Palestinian city in ceramic production. The first factory was established in 1962, and the industry flourished over the decades, becoming closely associated with the city known as “Khalil al-Rahman” (Friend of the Merciful), a reference to the Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him). The number of factories reached over thirty before the outbreak of the Second Intifada, then dropped to less than half at its onset, and has since seen some recovery.
Currently, around 200 workers are employed in this industry, with an average of ten workers per factory. The annual production value is about three million dollars, of which 30% is marketed locally, 40% exported to Israel, and 30% exported abroad, particularly to the European Union, the United States, and some Arab countries.
The raw materials—clay, powdered glass, and dyes—are imported from Europe. Local manufacturers attempted to produce raw materials domestically, but production costs were higher than the cost of imports due to the lack of all the necessary natural materials in Palestinian soil.
Olive Wood Industry:
The olive wood industry is one of the oldest traditional crafts, dating back to the 16th century. It emerged with the arrival of missionary delegations to the Holy Land and began with the production of beaded rosaries. Franciscan monks tried to craft them from olive pits. The industry developed to include religious figurines marketed to Christian tourists in the Bethlehem area.
This craft uses olive tree wood. Before 1967, most of the wood was sourced from Syria and Jordan. After the occupation, the Ramallah and Nablus areas became the primary sources of this material.
Glassmaking:
Handmade glass production has been known in Palestine since ancient civilizations that rose on its land, and it significantly developed after the advent of Islam, introducing various techniques in colors and decorations. This craft is particularly concentrated in the city of Hebron, where four factories operate. Around 30 workers are employed in glassmaking, having acquired their skills through working in family-run factories passed down from their parents. Glassmaking, like other traditional crafts, follows a family-oriented pattern.
One of the main requirements of the profession is enduring the hardship of working in front of burning furnaces, along with possessing creative and artistic spirit to master the shaping techniques. Glassmaking
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- Ancient Glassmaking industry
relies on local raw materials, mainly recycled glass waste, making it an environmentally friendly craft. However, the use of diesel and other harmful fuels in kilns remains a key environmental issue that must be addressed to develop the industry with modern, eco-friendly methods.
The annual income generated from glass production is estimated at half a million dollars. About 50% of the handmade glass products are marketed to Israel, 40% are sold in Europe (mainly at exhibitions), and 10% go to Arab countries, primarily Jordan.
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- The Ibrahimic Mosque
Major Tourist and Historical Landmarks in Hebron
Ibrahimi Mosque (Sanctuary of Abraham):
One of the most prominent religious, historical, and architectural landmarks in Hebron is the Ibrahimi Mosque, considered one of the city's most iconic structures. It is located southeast of the modern city. The mosque is surrounded by a large enclosure known as "al-Heer," built with massive stones, some over seven meters long and nearly one meter high. In some places, the structure rises over fifteen meters. The wall is believed to be the remnants of a structure built by Herod the Idumean during his rule of the city (37 BCE – 9 CE).
The enclosure was built above the Cave of Machpelah, which Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) purchased from Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite, and which became the burial site for Abraham, his wife Sarah, his son Isaac and wife Rebekah, and grandson Jacob and his wife Leah. Next to it stands the shrine of Prophet Joseph, son of Jacob.
In the Roman era, Herod built the massive wall around the tomb to protect it. Later, with the spread of Christianity during the Roman Empire, the site and its sanctuary were converted into a church, which was destroyed by the pagan Persian state during its occupation of Palestine in 614 CE.
Under the Umayyad Caliphate, the enclosure was rebuilt, the upper battlements and roof were restored, and domed shrines for the prophets were erected. An eastern gate was also opened.
After Israel occupied Hebron in 1967, Jewish settlers began settling around the city and eventually inside it. Currently, five Jewish settlement outposts exist in Hebron: Tel Rumeida, al-Dabboya, Osama bin Munqidh School, the vegetable market (Old Market), and the tourist rest area near the Ibrahimi Mosque.
The mosque continues to face repeated assaults by Israeli soldiers and settlers aiming to convert it into a Jewish temple. One of the most horrific massacres occurred on February 25, 1994 (the 15th of Ramadan), when Israeli settler Baruch Goldstein, from the Kiryat Arba settlement, opened fire on Muslim worshippers during dawn prayers, killing 29 and injuring dozens. After the massacre, the mosque was divided between Muslims and Jews.
Other Tourist and Historical Sites in Hebron:
Ramat Hebron (Sacred Ramat Hebron):
Once the site of the ancient town of Terebinths, it is believed that Prophet Abraham stayed in this location multiple times.
Sultan’s Pool:
Located in central Hebron southwest of the Ibrahimi Mosque, it was built by Sultan al-Malik al-Mansur Sayf al-Din Qalawun al-Alfi, ruler of Egypt and the Levant during the Mamluk era. It is a square pool made of polished stone, each side approximately 40 meters long.
Hebron Museum:
Located in the al-Dariyya quarter near Khan al-Khalil, it was originally a Turkish bath known as "Ibrahim al-Khalil Bath" and was later converted into a museum by a decision from President Yasser Arafat.
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- The Muscovite Church
The Russian Orthodox Church (Al-Maskobiya):
It is located in the Greek Orthodox Garden in the western part of the city, covering an area of 6,002 square meters. It was built at the beginning of the last century using stone. The land on which it was established spans 70 dunums, and it is the only site in the city designated for Christians.
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- Jerusalem Oak
The Jerusalem Oak:
It is located near the Russian Orthodox Church on Mount al-Jelda. This massive tree is estimated to be over 5,000 years old. Access to it is restricted to protect it.
Ramat Hebron (Well of Hebron’s Sanctuary):