With a deep rooted history that reaches as far back as the 16th Century, Ramallah has grown significantly over the years. As the population grew, the city attracted missionaries and in 1807 the first Greek Orthodox Church was built, and in 1869, the Friends Girls School was established by the Quakers.

In 1902, Ramallah was converted into a governorate by the Ottoman government, and it included thirty surrounding towns. Ahmad Murad, a prominent official from Jerusalem, was appointed as its first governor. In 1908, Ramallah was acknowledged as a city, and Elias Odeh was appointed as the first mayor, while the municipal council included a representative from each clan.

Al-Manara Square is an important landmark of the city. It took its name when, between 1930 and 1940, the power station that provided Ramallah with electricity was fixed in the centre of Al-Manara. The man in charge of lighting the city used to switch on the lights of the main streets and the few nearby houses in the evening. Things changed later when the Jerusalem Electric Company was founded. Ramallah was incorporated as a city in the year 1908, with Elias Audi as its first mayor. 

Ramallah has a vibrant cultural life and a dynamic art scene. Despite the political differences, occupation and subsequently economic difficulties, Ramallah’s cultural life always remained lively, and has especially blossomed in the last ten years. Ramallah is now home to a large number of cultural venues and events. 

Later this month on June 26, 2024 we will be taken around this beautiful city during our Live From Ramallah Virtual Delegation by Palestinian Artist, Wafa Hourani.  Hourani's work can be found here: https://www.wafahourani.com/.

Join Eyewitness Palestine on Wednesday, June 26th at 12PM ET for our Live from Ramallah webinar, featuring a special virtual delegation led by Wafa Hourani, who will take us around Ramallah on a custom tour of the city. 

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VISIT RAMALLAH

When you're ready to visit Ramallah or would like to learn more, make sure to check out these recommendations by Eyewitness Palestine Staff!

Tarwea'a Café

The Ultimate Palestinian Breakfast: Tarwea'a Café. 

If you want to enjoy the real Palestinian breakfast then Tarwea'a is the right place. This hidden gem might not be known to many people, but once you try it once you'll be back. The café looks like a place for shisha and coffee, yet hides a delicious kitchen. Serving classic Palestinian breakfast favorites with great service. Its located on a corner of the crossroads by Ramallah "Ta7ta", downtown and old Ramallah. 

I Saw Ramallah - Mourid Barghouti

Barred from his homeland after 1967’s Six-Day War, the poet Mourid Barghouti spent thirty years in exile—shuttling among the world’s cities, yet secure in none of them; separated from his family for years at a time; never certain whether he was a visitor, a refugee, a citizen, or a guest. As he returns home for the first time since the Israeli occupation, Barghouti crosses a wooden bridge over the Jordan River into Ramallah and is unable to recognize the city of his youth. Sifting through memories of the old Palestine as they come up against what he now encounters in this mere “idea of Palestine,” he discovers what it means to be deprived not only of a homeland but of “the habitual place and status of a person.” A tour de force of memory and reflection, lamentation and resilience, I Saw Ramallah is a deeply humane book, essential to any balanced understanding of today’s Middle East.

Mahmoud Darwish Museum

In honor and recognition of the spirit of the great poet Mahmoud Darwish, a memorial museum and park was established at the Al-Barwa Park.  The museum and park are also the resting place of Mahmoud Darwish’s remains. The park and museum were designed by the Internationally recognized  Palestinian architect, Ja’far Touqan. The site includes a multi-purpose hall, spacious areas, pools of water, an outdoor amphitheater and public gardens. The museum is equipped with an electronic library, including books by the late poet, many of Darwish’s personal belongings, and photos of him with his family and many notable people. At the museum entrance, a mural and a brief biography of Darwish is inscribed in both Arabic and English, covering his life until his passing in August 2008.

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