Nisf Jubeil

Description of the site: The village is 2.5 km east of Sebastia, about 400 m above sea level, at the foot of a mountain overlooking several valleys, which gives it an incredible natural and cultural scene. Several springs are spread in the village, and its surroundings, which contributed to the development of human settlement in the village since ancient periods, which date back to the Roman period and continued without interruption until now. These springs helped with the spread of planting trees and various crops. The abundance of springs decreased due to the occupation’s control of groundwater, and its transfer to the benefit of the settlements.The village includes several archaeological monuments and historical buildings, the most important of which is the shrine of Al-Khader (Saint George), located north of the village and surmounted by a green dome, a mosque, and a church built in the Ottoman period. In addition to the spread of many traditional and heritage houses, some of which date back to the Ottoman p0eriod, the restoration and rehabilitation process of several of the village’s buildings contributed to promoting and revitalizing tourism in it. One of those heritage houses has been restored and rehabilitated as a distinctive model for the traditional Palestinian house. It consists of a heavenly yard and a wide, high gate. Several rooms surround the yard, and each room is dedicated to the married sons of the owner. The room is divided into three levels; The first level was reserved for the animals, and the middle level housed the living area and storage spaces within the walls. And the level above the level of the animal shelter was designated as the sleeping area, and it included what is known as mud jars or containers; To preserve grains, especially wheat and barley, the house was rehabilitated as a kitchen for popular Palestinian food, where various meals were served to tourist groups. Several rooms were rehabilitated as a sleeping guest house for tourists.The rehabilitation and development work included establishing a workshop for the Palestinian traditional ceramic industry, which created job opportunities for the women and girls of the village. It produces all kinds of traditional ceramics exported to several Palestinian cities, such as Bethlehem, Jericho, and Ramallah.