Al-Tubani Corner (Al-Sheikh Nazmi Okal’s Corner)

Description of the site: It is one of the Sufi corners of Nablus, which was widely known by the city's residents; because of its association with Sufi rituals, and its continuity throughout the periods until the present time,Sheikh Nazmi Okal is considered the last of the sheikhs of the corners, as he continued to serve it and hold prayers sessions in it until he died in 1970 AD, then the Sufi followers revived its rituals. The corner is concerned with restoring Mawaled (the birthday of a holy figure), remembrances, and religious seasons, such as the anniversary of the Prophet's birthday, the Hijri New Year, Laylat al-Qadr, and other occasions, where the members of the Sufi group come out in their distinctive uniforms, carrying flags, drums, tambourines, and others, in the form of marches that roam the streets of the old town. The ritual is derived from the Naqshbandi Sufi order, and the community welcomes these rituals.The corner consists of a rectangular hall with 9 x 4 m dimensions. It is topped with a vault barrel arch, a rare architectural style and quality in the old town's buildings. Its height reaches about 3 meters. The floor of the corner has been re-paved with locally made colored tiles. The entrance to the corner is located in the eastern frontispiece: It is a small low-height facade. The door is surmounted by a lintel containing an inscription, and above it is an arch, then another inscription that includes four lines of inscription; these inscriptions were analyzed during his visit to the city in 1925 AD. It turned out that the oldest inscription dates to the construction of the Al-Tawbah Mosque, on whose ruins this corner was erected.The second inscription dates to the construction of the corner on the same site as the mosque in 1705 AD during the Ottoman period. The Nablus Municipality and the Taawon Organization restored the corner and its surroundings in 2018.