Nablus travel guide

Nablus is one of the oldest cities in the world, possibly established 9,000 years ago. It was called "Shechem" by its Canaanite and Israelite inhabitants. Shechem was the first capital of the northern ancient Israelite kingdom. The Romans built a new city (Flavia Neapolis, in honor of Flavius Vespasian) a short distance from Shechem. The name Nablus comes from Neapolis. The old city of Nablus is on the site of Neapolis, but in modern times the city has grown to include the site of Shechem as well.

Getting in

As of July 2010 there were no checkpoints for buses and service taxis (aka servees) entering Nablus from other West Bank cities, although you will need your passport and visa stamp to enter back into Israeli territory upon your return. Ramallah and Jerusalem: From Jerusalem, take the #18 bus to Ramallah. The bus departs from the bus station off Nablus Road north of Damascus Gate and the Old City. A #18 bus leaves every 10 minutes throughout the day, and it costs ₪7. This bus will drop passengers off at the main street in Ramallah, but stay on until the main bus station.

Getting around

Most of the urban area of Nablus is small enough to be navigated on foot. It is not recommended that you wander around too much as there are a number of neighborhoods in Nablus that may have troubles with IDF raids and public unrest. However, the tensions have eased, but you should still check for the latest situation. The public transportation in Nablus is informal, and is normally done by sharing service taxis (aka servees).

Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.