Jerusalem's Old City remains the gravitational center of Palestinian religious and cultural life. The Haram al-Sharif compound encloses both the Dome of the Rock, completed in 691 CE with its gilded dome visible across the city, and Al-Aqsa Mosque, originally built in 705 CE and reconstructed multiple times after earthquakes. Non-Muslims may enter the compound through specific gates during restricted morning hours set by the Islamic Waqf, though these hours change frequently and access to the mosque interiors is prohibited for non-worshippers. The Western Wall plaza below the compound fills with Jewish worshippers at all hours. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, shared among six Christian denominations, marks the traditional site of crucifixion and burial in Christian theology. East Jerusalem's Palestinian neighborhoods extend beyond the Old City walls into areas like Silwan and Sheikh Jarrah, where local cafes and shops operate along narrow streets.
Bethlehem sits eight kilometers south of Jerusalem's Old City. The Church of the Nativity, built originally in 339 CE by Constantine, stands above the grotto traditionally identified as the birthplace in Christian belief. The basilica's main entrance was reduced centuries ago to the current 1.2-meter-high doorway. Beit Sahour, adjacent to Bethlehem, contains the Shepherds' Field sites maintained separately by Catholic and Greek Orthodox churches. Manger Square functions as Bethlehem's commercial and social center. The separation barrier built in the early 2000s runs directly through Bethlehem district, with concrete sections reaching eight meters high in places.
Hebron operates as the West Bank's largest city with a population exceeding 200,000. The Ibrahimi Mosque, known to Jews as the Cave of the Patriarchs, sits above tombs venerated in Islamic and Jewish tradition as burial sites of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob along with their wives. A 1994 massacre inside the compound led to its current division into separate Muslim and Jewish prayer sections with distinct entrances and visiting hours. Hebron's Old City contains hundreds of workshops where glassblowers practice techniques dating to Mamluk-period workshops. The city center splits into H1 area under Palestinian Authority civil control and H2 area under Israeli military control, a division formalized in the 1997 Hebron Protocol.
Ramallah functions as the de facto administrative capital of the Palestinian Authority. The Mukataa compound holds both Palestinian Authority government offices and the mausoleum of Yasser Arafat, who died in 2004. Ramallah's downtown holds dozens of restaurants, live music venues, and the Khalil Sakakini Cultural Center, which operates in a restored 1930s mansion. The city sits at approximately 850 meters elevation in the Samarian Highlands. Traffic moves through central Ramallah along Al-Manara Square, a roundabout marked by a prominent clock tower.
Nablus produces virtually all knafeh nabulsiyeh consumed in Palestine and neighboring countries. This dessert of white cheese layered with shredded phyllo dough and soaked in sugar syrup originated in Nablus during Ottoman times. Al-Aqsa Sweets and Al-Zalatimo, both multi-generational family operations, maintain production locations near the Old City. Nablus soap, made from olive oil and lye with no additives, continues production in several remaining factories using methods unchanged for centuries. Mount Gerizim rises 881 meters directly south of the city. The Samaritan community, numbering approximately 800 people as of recent counts, maintains its holiest site on this mountain and observes Passover sacrifices there annually.
Jericho sits at 258 meters below sea level in the Jordan Valley, making it one of the lowest permanently inhabited places globally. Tel es-Sultan contains archaeological layers dating to 9000 BCE, among the earliest evidence of continuous settlement anywhere. The Greek Orthodox Monastery of the Temptation clings to cliffs overlooking Jericho, reachable by cable car installed in 1999. Hisham's Palace, located on Jericho's northern outskirts, preserves Umayyad-period mosaics from the 8th century, including a well-known tree-and-gazelles floor panel. Date palm groves irrigated by ancient spring systems produce much of the Jordan Valley's date harvest.
The Dead Sea's western shore includes areas nominally under Palestinian governance though access remains complicated by Israeli settlements and military zones. The sea's surface sits at approximately 430 meters below sea level, the lowest point of dry land on Earth. Salinity reaches 34 percent, nearly ten times ocean concentration. Ein Gedi spring, on contested land claimed by Palestine, creates an oasis where ibex and rock hyraxes live among desert vegetation.
Wadi Qelt cuts eastward from the Judaean Desert highlands toward Jericho. The Greek Orthodox St. George's Monastery, built into the wadi's northern cliff face, dates to the 5th century with later Byzantine and Crusader additions. A walking trail follows the wadi floor past spring-fed pools and Roman-era aqueduct remains. The route covers approximately eleven kilometers from its accessible starting point near Jerusalem to Jericho.