๐ Countries of the world ๐ Arab countries
Occupied Palestine
๐ In short
Palestine is an Arab land on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, in the south of the Levant. It has Jerusalem (al-Quds), holy to Muslims and Christians, and al-Aqsa Mosque, the first qibla. It is an occupied land, and its people, Arabs and Muslims call for a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.
๐คฉ Did you know?
- Al-Aqsa Mosque is the first qibla and the third of the holy sanctuaries.
- Many Palestinians live in cities.
- Jericho is one of the oldest cities in the world.
- The Dead Sea lies between Palestine and Jordan.
๐๏ธ Fact file
- Capital
- Tel Aviv, Israel's declared capital
- Official language
- Arabic for Arabs and Hebrew for Jews
- Official name
- Occupied Palestine
- Currency
- The Jordanian dinar; the shekel
- Area
- After the 1949 armistice: 20,770 kmยฒ.
- Population
- According to the 2000 estimate: 6,062,000
๐ Find out more
๐ Jerusalem and al-Aqsa
Jerusalem has al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock with its shining golden dome, and it was there that the Prophet Muhammad ๏ทบ was taken on the Night Journey (Isra). It also has the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
๐ Ancient cities
Palestine has many old cities: Hebron (al-Khalil) with the Ibrahimi Mosque, Bethlehem, Nablus, famous for its knafeh and soap, Jaffa and Acre by the sea, and Gaza.
๐ก Land of olives
Olive trees grow all over Palestine, and some are hundreds of years old. Families get together at olive-picking time and press them into oil, which they eat with bread and za'atar.
๐ฏ Palestinian embroidery
The Palestinian dress is embroidered with many colorful stitches, and every town and village has its own patterns and colors. It's a beautiful heritage that mothers keep alive and teach their daughters.
๐ธ More pictures
๐งฉ Test yourself
1 Which blessed mosque is in Jerusalem?
2 Which tree grows all over Palestine?
3 Which picture shows โOccupied Palestineโ?