Hebron

Hebron
Downtown Hebron
Seal
Nickname:  City of the Patriarchs
Coordinates: 31°32′0″N 35°5′42″E / 31.53333°N 35.09500°E / 31.53333; 35.09500
Population  (2016)
• Total	215,452
Website	www.hebron-city.ps

Hebron is a Palestinian city 30 km (19 mi) south of Jerusalem. It is in the Judaean Mountains, 930 meters (3,050 ft) above sea level. It is the largest city in the West Bank, and the second largest in the Palestinian territories after Gaza. There are about 215,000 people living in Hebron (2016).

Hebron is divided into two parts: H1, controlled by the Palestinian National Authority, and H2, about 20% of the city, controlled by Israel.^[1]

The city is famous as the traditional burial site of the Biblical Patriarchs and Matriarchs. This makes it a very important city in Judaism. It is also very important to Muslims because of its connections with Abraham.

Hebron is important to the economy of the area due to the sale of marble from quarries. It is known for its grapes, figs, limestone, pottery workshops and glassblowing factories. It is also the location of the major dairy-product maker, al-Junaidi. The old city of Hebron has narrow, winding streets, flat-roofed stone houses, and old bazaars. The city is home to Hebron University and the Palestine Polytechnic University. It has no cinemas or places of entertainment.^[1]

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} An Introduction to the City of Hebron Archived 2012-07-20 at the Wayback Machine. Jewish Virtual Library