Aqraba is a town located in the southeast of Nablus with approximately 14000 residents. 60% of the uninhabited land is used for almond and olive cultivation, with the remaining 40% being used for fruits, vegetables and grazing purposes.
In Arabic aqraba originated from Arab which means ‘scorpion’. However it also means the sloped rocky land. The town is home to an old Byzantine church, now transformed into a mosque, as well as a number of cisterns, one of which still holds water. Pieces of pottery from the second Iron Age, as well as the Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Umayyad, Ayyubid and Mamluk eras have been found in the area.
Interestingly , a rich resident loves the Iraqi president sadden Hussein… an obvious reflection can be seen from the gate
But of course it is more than that… a vibrant place for shrines… among them sunewber ( maybe related to the pine trees in the area… together with oaks of course …. and mushrooms by mistake.
Beautiful photos! Especially the 5th.
Thanks