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Welcome
to Jifna today!
Schools
The Latin Patriarchate
school of Jifna was
established in 1856. Its
aims were religious
missions and scientific
consciousness. Since then,
many generations have
graduated
from this school. It was
through these people that
the educational process
started in this
area and it is continuing
until this day in order to
develop the students to
their best
level because they are the
men and women of the future.
The school has passed
through several bad
circumstances but its
supervisors always
insisted that it be
maintained in order to bring
it up to the best level for
the sake of the
country.
The school was initially
very simple. There were only
two teachers and one sister
for
the elementary classes and
one teacher for the
kindergarten. The students
were
distributed so that every
two classes were put into
one room because of the lack
of
rooms and teachers. This
created many problems and
did not allow for a suitable
learning environment. This
prevented the proper
development of the new
pupils in spite
of their best efforts.
Another big problem was the
absence of the necessary
equipment
to help the students to
understand the subjects.
Today, most of these
problems have been overcome.
Adequate numbers of
specialized
people are involved with the
school with eight teachers
and two sisters working in
the
school and four more
teachers for the
kindergarten. Each class has
its own room which
has helped in creating a
suitable educational
atmosphere. The school has
worked very
hard in order to provide its
students with all the
necessary equipment. For
example,
there is a science lab for
the basic grades and all the
necessary instruments and
equipment are also provided
for the kindergarten.
Churches
Latin
Greek Orthodox
The
Jifna Women's Charitable
Society, an organization in
the Jifna area which offers
health services to women and
children
Only minutes away from
Birzeit University, Jifna is
a busy summer resort, with
many restaurants, coffee
shops and western-style
bars.
Located near Birzeit, Jifna
is a small scenic village
near Birzeit that was once
an important Roman-Byzantine
city. Previously known as
Gophna of Josephus, Jifna
was a regional capital
during the first century AD.
Today, Jifna is a popular
summer resort, offering a
variety of fine out-door
restaurants, bars and coffee
shops.
Al-Burj Restaurant - Jifna
Village - Ramallah
Palestine's archeological treasures are only beginning to be
developed. Now you can dine and admire the vast history of
Palestine and its people at the same time. Al Burj restaurant,
located in the tiny West Bank village of Jifna, is actually the
village's old city, with a history extending back hundreds of
years. With international funding, the local youth club has
restored the area, adding bright accents to the attractive stone.
Before you eat, make sure to ask for an English or Arabic tour of
the complex's many rooms, olive presses and ancient ramparts.
Climbing up and down the stone-cut stairs will well-prepare you
for a Palestinian meal of salads and grilled meats. While the menu
is not particularly original, the lamb chops are usually tender
and the kebabs well-flavored. The salads are the usual fare -
leafy Greek, garlicky parsley salad, hummous or french fries.
Entrees range from $10 to $12 and arghillas or water pipes are an
ideal end of the meal. Often busy, Al Burj could improve its
service quite a bit - but waiting for your food will give you a
good opportunity to take in the view around you
The Village and tower of Jifna - Ramallah
Jifna village lies on a green hill
overlooking a fertile valley, 23 kms north of Jerusalem, to the
west of the Jerusalem-Nablus-Nazareth road. To the West of the
village lies Birzeit, and to the south the Jalazoun refugee
camp. There are three roads leading to Jifna: the first is the
main Jerusalem-Ramallah-Nablus road, the second is through the
Jalazoun refugee camp, and the third through Birzeit village.
Jifna lies on the old Roman road connecting
Jerualem to Nablus, and it was considered at the time the second
most important city after Jerusalem. The village had a governor
which is demonstrated by the existence of a big castle in the
village. Jesus Christ is said to have passed through the village
at least once in his lifetime, as did the Virgin Mary on her way
from Nazareth to Bethlehem.
As you enter the village the most prominent
building is the Latin church built in 1859 , opposite an old
Byzantine church called St. George's church, which has not been
excavated so far but only cleaned in 1970. The crusaders rebuilt
this Byzantine church but it was destroyed several times in the
following years, and its stones were used to build some of the
village houses. Another church was also found in the southern
end of the village with mosaic flooring dating back to the
Byzantine era also. The second active church is the Greek
Orthodox Church built in 1858. A winery was also found in the
eastern border of the village.
There are two small citadels in the village
whose origins are attributed to the crusaders, even though
Father Bagatti attributes them to the Muslim period following
the crusaders. The site also contains the remains of a Byzantine
wall.
The citadels lie on the western side of the
village, with the doors of all the rooms opening into the
internal yard.
There are very few external windows on the
east, which means that these citadels were used as a fortress.
Even though Jifna was, and still is, essentially a Christian
village, the relationship between the crusaders and the locals
was not friendly to say the least. The site of the citadel was
renovated and reopened for public use in the end of April of
this year. This project was initiated by the youth in the
village supported by local and international organizations and
sponsors. The site, called "Burj Jifna" or the Jifna tower,
currently contains a popular restaurant, a modern café, a
multipurpose hall, headquarters for the village youth club, a
cultural activity hall, and a center for the exhibit andsale of
traditional handicrafts. The second phase of the project is
planned to include bed and breakfastfacilities. For a taste of
traditional Palestinian food and life style in a historical
setting, Burj Jifna is definitely the place to go.
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