Hebron Rehebilitation Committee

The Old City of Hebron is a unique and authentic heritage site. Its buildings and architectural units date back to the Ayyubide, Mamluk and Ottoman dynasties. It enjoys an architectural splendour, with its numerous archaeological and historic sites, archways, tiny streets and old markets. Amongst the most famous Old City neighbourhoods are: Sheikh Ali Al Baka’, Al Qazzazine, Al Sawakneh, Al Qala’s, Bani Dar, Al ‘Aqaba, Al Mouhtassibin, Al Madrassa, Qaytoon, Al Masharqa, Al Akrad, Al Masharqa Al Foka, and Al Hoshiya.

Hebron also comprises the following mosques, zawiyas (sufi lodges) and ribats (small fortifications): 
Ribats: Makki, Al Jamai’ili, Al Tawashi, Al Mansouri (with its old architectural traits) as well as the fort on the South-Western side of Al Ibrahimi Mosque which was transformed by Sultan Hassan into a school;
Mosques: Al Ibrahimi, Al Jawliya, Ibn Othman, Al Qazzazine, Al Baraka, Al Aqbat Al Kadeem, Sheikh Ali Al Baka’;
Zawiyas: Sheikh Ali Al Mojarad, Sheikh Abdel Rahman Al Arzoumi, Al Ja’abra, Al Magharba, Al Adhamiya, Al Qaymariya, Abou El Rish, Al Shathli.

Another 150 smaller mosques (Masjed) as well as religious schools (Madrassah) located near mosques are found in the city such as the Husseiniya, the Qaymariya, and the Fakhriya schools.

Al Ibrahimi Mosque is one of the most sacred and holy places for Moslems. It is believed to host the remains of God’s prophet Abraham, his wife Sarah, their sons Isaac and Jacob as well as the latter’s wives Leah and Rebecca, who are said to be buried in the cave of Machpelah on which the Mosque stands. The Mosque also hosts a symbolic tomb for Prophet Joseph. It is surrounded by a huge rectangular wall (known as the Hir), built with massive stones which were at some points 7 meter long and one meter tall. In some areas, the wall stands more than fifteen meters tall. It is believed that the remaining wall is part of an enclosure that Herod The Great built over the Caves during his reign over the city (37 B.C. to 7 A.D). The Caves had been purchased by Prophet Abraham from Ephron the Hittite.

Located in the heart of Hebron, South West of Al Ibrahimi Mosque, the pool was built with polished stones by Sultan Saif al-Din Qalawun al-Alfi who ruled Egypt and The Levant during the Mamluk dynasty. It is 40 meters long and 40 meters wide. Due to the large number of drowning accidents which took place in the pool, and given the mosquitoes it attracted and its terrible smell, the Islamic Religious Endowment Department (Awqaf), in cooperation with Hebron municipality and the Health Department, decided to drain the pool and to close down all canals supplying it with water. The Department of Archaeology at the General Administration in Jerusalem refuses to allow the pool to be used for other ends, in order to safeguard the Islamic and historical heritage of the site. The pool belongs to the Awqaf.

Hebron Museum, located in Al Dariya neighbourhood near Khan Al Khalil, was originally a Turkish bath known as Hammam Ibrahim Al-Khalil (bath of Abraham the friend). It is one of the most important archaeological sites in the city and belongs to the Awqaf. Following a Presidential Decision by late President Arafat, the site was restored, rehabilitated and transformed into a museum. The Turkish bath itself has maintained its original shape and beauty, which explains why the site was transformed into a museum.

Al Maskobiya, or the Russian Orthodox Church, is located in the Roman Orthodox Monastery garden in the Western part of the city. The church was built in the early 20th century and is considered to be the only Christian site in Hebron. It is a 600 m2 cross-shaped stone edifice built on a 70 dunum piece of land.

The Oak Tree is located near Al Maskobiya Church. It is an ancient and almost dead tree surrounded by a fence while its trunk is wrapped with steel braces for protection. The fence prevents visitors from approaching and touching the tree which is considered to be holy. The tree is surrounded by a number of younger, but also big, oak trees believed to have sprung from the seeds of the ancient oak. The tree is estimated to be more than 5,000 years old.

Ramet Al Khalil lies to the North East of Hebron, on the site of the ancient town of Terebinthus. The area was an important commercial centre during the Roman Empire and attracted large numbers of visitors from Syria, Palestine and Egypt, especially under the reign of Emperor Hadrian (117-138 a.d.).

The stones of the edifice resemble those used in Al Haram Al Ibrahimi. However, at certain parts of the site, only 3 midmaks (rows) of stone remain. The South Western corner of the site contains a stone roofed well, whose roof is partially demolished. Small stone basins lie near the well and were used as drinking water basins for animals.