Shechem
Shechem, also spelled Sichem and other variants, was an ancient city in the Southern Levant.
Shechem, also spelled Sichem and other variants, was an ancient city in the Southern Levant. Described in ancient Egyptian inscriptions from the 19th century BC as a part of Retjenu, it is also recorded as a Canaanite city in the 14th century BC Amarna letters.
Adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Worth seeing in and around Shechem
10 places within 25 km that the world writes about, in the order of how widely: the ones a visitor has heard of first, then the ones only a local would name.
- 01Mount Gerizim
Mount Gerizim is one of two mountains near the Palestinian city of Nablus and the biblical city of Shechem, located in the north of Palestine's West Bank. It forms the southern side of the valley in which Nablus is situated, the northern side being formed by Mount Ebal.
1.8 km · mountain in Judea and Samaria Area, Palestine · Wikipedia - 02Joseph's Tomb
Joseph's Tomb is a funerary monument located in Balata village at the eastern entrance to the valley that separates Mounts Gerizim and Ebal, 300 m northwest of Jacob's Well, on the outskirts of the West Bank city of Nablus. It has been venerated throughout the ages by Samaritans, for whom it is the second holiest site; by Jews; by Christians; and by Muslims, some of whom view it as the location of a local sheikh, Yusef al-Dwaik or Dawiqat, who died in the 18th century.
300 m · funerary monument in Shechem · Wikipedia - 03Mount Ebal
Mount Ebal is one of the two mountains near the city of Nablus in the West Bank, and forms the northern side of the valley in which Nablus is situated, the southern side being formed by Mount Gerizim. The mountain is one of the highest peaks in the West Bank and rises to 935 m above sea level, some 60 m higher than Mount Gerizim.
2.4 km · mountain in the immediate vicinity of the city of Nablus in the West Bank · Wikipedia - 04An-Najah National University
An-Najah National University is a non-governmental public university governed by a board of trustees in Nablus, West Bank, Palestine. The university has 22,000 students and 300 professors in 19 faculties.
3.6 km · University in State of Palestine · Wikipedia - 05Great Mosque of Nablus
The Great Mosque of Nablus is the oldest and largest mosque in the city of Nablus, in the State of Palestine. It was originally built as a Byzantine church and was converted into a mosque during the early Islamic era.
1.3 km · mosque in Palestine · Wikipedia - 06Al-Khadra Mosque
The Al-Khadra Mosque also known as Hizn Sidna Yaq'ub Mosque, is a mosque situated on the lower slopes of Mount Gerizim in the southwestern quarter of the Old City of Nablus in the West Bank of the State of Palestine.
1.1 km · mosque in Nablus, West Bank, Palestine · Wikipedia - 07An-Nasr Mosque
An-Nasr Mosque is a mosque located in Nablus, Palestine. It is situated in the central square of the Old City of Nablus and is donned as the "symbol of Nablus".
2 km · Mosque in Nablus, Palestine · Wikipedia - 08Nablus Football Stadium
The Nablus Football Stadium is a football stadium in Nablus, Palestine. It has a capacity of 30,000.
3.2 km · football stadium in Nablus, Palestine · Wikipedia - 09Hanbali Mosque, Nablus
The Hanbali Mosque is a mosque in Nablus, West Bank, Palestine. The mosque is situated off Jama'a Kabir Street, south of Martyr's Square, and west of the Great Mosque of Nablus.
2 km · mosque in Nablus, West Bank, Palestine · Wikipedia - 10Manara Clock Tower
The Manara Clock Tower or al-Manura clock tower is a clock tower located in the middle of the central square in the Old City of Nablus next to the An-Nasr Mosque in the Palestine. Five stories high, it was erected in 1906 on the orders of the Ottoman sultan Abdul Hamid II to celebrate 30 years of his reign.
2 km · Clock tower in Nablus, West Bank · Wikipedia
Ranked by the number of language editions of Wikipedia with an article on each, from Wikidata; the sentences are the openings of those articles, CC BY-SA 4.0.
What Wikivoyage says to see
- 01The Old City
This is a charming area filled with winding narrow streets and small shops selling all kinds of foods, clothing, and trinkets.
- 02Jacob's Well
The spot where it is believed that a Samaritan woman offered a drink from the well to Jesus and he then revealed to her that he was the Messiah (John 4:5), is located here.
- 03Mount Gerizim
Check for the hours, as this place does not seem to be open all the time.
- 04Monastery of Bir
Seen from all over Nablus, this monastery offers a great from above Nablus.
- 05Joseph's Tomb
In the eastern part of the city is a Muslim and Jewish holy site; however, it closes sporadically and it may not be possible to visit.
- 06Tell Balata Archaeological Park
Tell Balata archaeological site, near Nablus, the site contains the remains of a Middle Bronze Age city with a massive fortification wall (ca.
From Wikivoyage: Shechem, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.
Things to do
Climb Mount Gerizim or Mount Ebal on either side of Nablus for a beautiful view of the city. A small Samaritan community, one of only two left in the world, resides atop Mt. Gerizim, and you can get a look at their temple on the mountaintop.
- 01Hammam
From Wikivoyage: Shechem, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.
Where to eat
Kunafa/Knafeh (sugary couscous pastry on top of melted goat cheese) is one of the most popular Palestinian treats. Nablus residents boast that Kunafa Nablusy is the best in Palestine, and no trip to Nablus is complete without it.
- 01Al-Aqsa Pastry
- 02Abu Salha Sweets
- 03Abu Salha Sweets
Another highly rated place in Nablus for the delicious kunafa/kenafeh.
- 04Cafe Ward Alsham
Real Regional Cuisine about 200 NIS for a big family plate.
From Wikivoyage: Shechem, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.
Getting to Shechem
- Airports
- Ben Gurion (TLV), 43 km · Marka International (Amman Civil) (ADJ), 72 km · Queen Alia (AMM), 86 km
- Tel Aviv → Shechem53 km · quickest by road, 1h 20m · ₪21–28
- Eilat → Shechem250 km · quickest by road, 5h 47m · ₪100–135
- Amman → Shechem70 km · quickest by road, 2h 8m · JD4–5
- Plan a tripFrom anywhereThe planner compares every way there from wherever you are.
Road and air are today’s quick answer; timetabled trains, buses and ferries load on the results page from the operators’ feeds.
No local-transport research exists yet for Shechem
Our researched notes are written from a sourced entry: every shared taxi, boat and village bus with its operator, its rule, its fare and the year we saw it, and what could not be confirmed. Nobody has done that work for Shechem. What is above is what we hold from open sources; nothing here pretends to be more.
- Get inFrom Ben Gurion it is cheapest to take a "sherut" (shared taxi) to the bus station on Nablus Road by Damascus Gate, and then follow the directions above to Nablus.
- Go nextShared minibus taxis (sherut/servees) leaving Nablus tend to congregate around the center of town and along the two-sided Al-Gazalah (Al-Hadadeen) Street going southeast out of town.
- Go nextTo get there by hitchhiking, take a sherut to Tubas (₪7.50) and from there hitchhike east through Tayasir and Aqabah to the highway #578 or #90, and then north past the Israeli checkpoint.
From Wikivoyage: Nablus, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us; that article was last edited 2026-07.
- 01211 km
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If you know how people move in Shechem – the stand, the rule, the fare – tell us, and the note gets an entry.
Next door to Shechem
Shechem is 48 km from East Jerusalem, the nearest large city, whose note carries the wider picture.
- Nabluscity in the West Bank, State of Palestine2 km
- Har BrakhaIsraeli settlement in Samaria2.8 km
- Tirzahancient Samarian town9.7 km
- Kiryat LuzaIsraelite Samaritan village near Nablus1.6 km
- Huwaramunicipality in Nablus Governorate, West Bank, Palestine7.2 km
- Itamar (Israeli settlement)Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank5 km