Jericho

Jericho (Arabic أريحا Arīḥā Hebrew יריחו Yəriḥo) [1], the "City of Palms", is a small city within the Palestinian Territories and Israeli-occupied West Bank, close to the northern end of Dead Sea and some 55 km (34 miles) from Jerusalem. A relatively tranquil town, Jericho's recent reputation for calm and lack of security incidents in the midst of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, have made it a natural target for visitors to areas administered by the Palestinian National Authority.

Culture and History

The modern town of Jericho includes the ancient mound known as Tell es-Sultan, the accumulated remains of cities that have existed on the site for some 9,000 years - the Neolithic period. Archaeology reveals that Jericho is one of the oldest human settlements in the Middle East.

Jericho, of course, is probably best known for its Biblical associations: (song) "Joshua fought the battle of Jericho - and the walls came tumbling down!"

Travel to Jericho - Visa Requirements

Jericho is somewhat difficult to reach. There are no direct connections between Jericho and Jerusalem. When you want to get there, use the Arabic word "Al-Quds" rather than the Hebrew "Jerusalem" to speak to the drivers. From Jerusalem there is at least one easy option by service (pronounced serveese). From just outside the Damascus Gate, take the Palestinian Service to Ramallah, line 18, which costs 6.50 NIS. This will take you to a small bus station in Ramallah. In Ramallah, ask for a Jericho Service, which costs 15 NIS. The driver will drop you off near the center square in Jericho. This is the cheapest way to get to Jericho from Jerusalem.

Tours and Getting around Jericho

Jericho tourist attractions and sightseeing

• Tell es-Sultan (ancient Jericho) - the large city mound is located some 2 km north-west of the modern city centre, overlooking the natural spring of Ein Sultan. It costs 10 NIS to enter.
• Synagogue Mosaic Floor- In between Tel es-Sultan and Hisham's Palace, there is a synogogue floor from the 6th century C.E. Look for the bent, orange sign that says Synagogue or בית כנסת, look straight across the street and there is a road going diagonal towards some Palestinian flags. The synagogue floor is in the basement of a private house belonging to a Jerusalemite family the Shahwans at the end of the street. It costs 10 NIS to enter. The family discovered the site and kept maintaining it until the Israelis confiscated the land and the house in 1987.
• Hisham's Palace - 2 km north of modern Jericho, this winter palace was built by the Omayyad Caliph Hisham Ibn Abdul Malek, before being destroyed by eathquake soon after completion in 747 CE. The extensive site contains royal buildings, a mosque, water fountains and spectacular mosaic floors. It costs 10 NIS to enter.

Jericho city tours

• Take the world's longest cable-car ride to the 'Quruntul mountain'. from the precarious rocky spot you get a great view of Jericho and the Jordan Valley. There a Greek Orthodox monastery situated high in the rocks, and it is the biblical setting for Jesus' temptation by the devil.

Jericho souvenirs and shopping

Jericho Restaurants: cheap, moderate and expensive

Jericho nightlife, bars, clubs and pubs

Jericho cheap and luxurious hotels, youth hostels and lodging

Get out

This page was last edited by Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel. Based on work by Marlene Radolf, Stacy Hall and Ravikiran Rao, Wikitravel user(s) Pjamescowie and Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel. - Content on this page is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 1.0 license