Nablus: A field tour for tour guides in the town of Sebastia

Nablus: A field tour for tour guides in the town of Sebastia
8 August 2022

 

Nablus - As part of its promotional activities for ecotourism in Palestine, the Mahmiyat.ps project, organized a field tour to the town of Sebastia, near Nablus, in cooperation with the Arab Tourist Guide Union.

The field tour comes with the support of the Hanns Seidel Foundation. It was conducted for 25 tour guides from various Palestinian regions. The goal was promoting tourism to older villages in Palestinian areas and cities. This was organized with the participation of the Palestine Ecotourism Society, Palestine Society for Environment and Sustainable Development and the Municipality of Sebastia.

The tour included learning about tourist, cultural, religious and historical attractions in Sebastia. They visited the shrine of the Prophet Yahya, the Sebastia Museum, the Sultan Abdul Hamid Mosque, the cathedral, the Roman royal tombs and guest houses in the town.

The tour also included hiking a trail to enhance the geographical knowledge of the area for tour guides. This was all within the town of Sebastia, and included a visit to the Sheikh Shula fortress in the village of Naqoura, near Sebastia. Mr.Ahmad Abu Hashish, Vice President of Palestine Ecotourism Society, presented an historical overview.

During a visit to the Interpretation Center, the mayor of Sebastia, Mr. Muhammad Azim, presented an introduction to the town explaining its most important archaeological and tourist attractions. There was also a video presentation of the town. The President of Palestine Ecotourism Society, Mr.Ahmad Battah, explained the most important activities of the society and its future plans.

In turn, Saed Shomly, a representative of Palestine Society for Environment and Sustainable Development, explained the importance of revitalizing ecotourism with local authorities, and about its role and principles in preserving nature.

The head of the Arab Tourist Guide Union, Mr. Youssef Eida, shared that these field tours are among several carried out by the organization within the Mahmiyat project. The tours contribute in promoting the concepts of ecological, historical and cultural tourism to the town of Sebastia, especially since it has cultural, historical and religious significance, which all encourage tourists to visit.