PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES
​I visited the Palestinian Territories in 2014.

The Ibdaa Cultural Center is a grassroots community-based project in the West Bank's Palestinian Dheisheh refugee camp.*

Through art, dance, music, media, education, and sports, Ibdaa helps children and teenagers to share their experiences and dreams for the future with each other.*

 Ibdaa’s extraordinary achievement is due to the successful integration of grassroots work in Dheisheh and the solidarity work in the international community.*

Palestinian dance largely consists of folk dancing, the main type being dabka.*

There are numerous kinds of songs that are sung during and specifically for dabke, by both men and women respectively, depending on the occasion, song, and audience.* 

The Barenboim-Said Foundation is currently developing various music education projects in the Palestinian Territories. These projects contribute to educate and promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.*

Israel is building a barrier -- part fences, part wall -- very roughly along the 1967 Green Line, the de facto border between Israel and a future independent state of Palestine, looping and scooping around Jewish settlements separating Palestinians from their communities, businesses, schools and crops in the process.*

The Church of the Nativity makes an imposing marker for the birthplace of Jesus.  It is the oldest continuously operating church, commissioned in Ad 326 by Emperor Constantine.*

The mission of the Ibdaa Cultural Center is to create a positive atmosphere for children and youth in the refugee camp to assist them in... 

Ibdaa strives to empower the children, youth and women in Dheisheh camp, instilling in them confidence and strength.*

 Ibdaa’s alliance with activists and organizations around the world goes beyond a traditional relationship based on financial support. Ibdaa has forged a strong relationship with its supporters in the areas of education and advocacy.*

Amongst Palestinians, two common types of dabke are the shamaliyya and sha'rawiyya - which have six measure phases - and the karaadiyya which has square phrases (of four or eight measures).*

The Ibdaa Cultural Center's hall ways are decorated with paintings.

The little souq known to locals as the Green Market - with its range of fruit and vegetables, meat and fish, junk, shoes and some mighty tasty snacks - was established in 1929.*
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Al-Manara Square or Lighthouse Square is complete with columns, stone lions bearing Palestinian-flag graffiti, traffic and pigeons.*



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Ramallah is the hub of government ministries, the Palestinian parliament, diplomatic missions, broadcast outlets, and contemporary culture courtesy of the city's lively arts scene.*
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...developing competence, creativity and leadership skills through a range of social, cultural and educational activities.*

Ibdaa has become one of the most successful community organizations in Palestine, playing a vital role in the community's survival and vitalization.*

Ibdaa currently serves over 1,500 children, youth and women each year and provides income to 70 families in the Dheisheh camp through employment and income generation projects.*

The Murdah involves two lines of female dancers who move toward each other with small steps and then retreat while singing rhymed couplets. These couplets were largely laments for absent loved ones.* 

Al-Kamandjati is a small conservatory in Ramallah with strains of violin and flute wafting over an ancient arch with an edgy, modern copper entry-way.*

Not far from Al-Manara Square is one of Ramallah's food markets.*
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Hebron's old city is made up of stunning, often crumbling Mamluk-styled Ottoman architecture including a souq.*

*These captions are from Israel and the Palestinian Territories - Lonely Planet's travel guide.