One of the largest cities in the Palestinian Territory is the City of Nablus – located in the north central part of the area called the West Bank. This photo of the old market area in the heart of town was taken off a poster.
The City is comprised of hundreds of mostly residential buildings splashed through a deep valley which forms a saddle between the east and west slopes of the Samarian Hills (the mountains of the north section of the west bank).
The economy of the City appears to be driven most recently by a real estate investment boom driven by foreign earned funds brought back to Nablus (called “remittances”). In the 5 years since the Time Traveler last passed through this City, the expanse of urban sprawl has more than doubled in area. Tall apartment buildings have been painted upon the valley walls like some large mural on both sides of long corridor.
The older buildings along the central road are now curiosities from a past time rapidly being assimilated by new development.
But some of the charm - somewhat reminiscent of parts of California - remains in the older weathier area.
The old Roman city at this same site relied upon springs in the valley for its water supply. Now days, the demands placed upon the shrinking aquifers of the limestone hills means that most water is purchased from the Israelis and it piped to the city from lake Galilee in the north.
The water sector is receiving some help in the form of funding for a new wastewater treatment plant to serve western Nablus. It is expected that the planned treated wastewater plant (now under construction) will provide a new source of water for irrigation purposes. (Designers' illustration provided below)
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