cathedral
Church of the Holy Sepulchre
Christianity's holiest site, built on the traditional locations of Jesus's crucifixion and burial.
20 km · about 25 min drive
AsiaPalestineWest Bank
Jifnā
West Bank, Palestine · Asia
About Jifnā
Jifnā works well as a base: 5 minutes from ‘Ayn Yabrūd, 20km from Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
Jifnā is in West Bank, Palestine, with about 1,700 people. The nearest town is ‘Ayn Yabrūd, about 4 km away.
Jifna (Arabic: جفنا, Jifnâ) is a Palestinian village in the Ramallah and al-Bireh Governorate in the central West Bank of the State of Palestine, located 8 kilometers (5.0 mi) north of Ramallah and 23 kilometers (14 mi) north of Jerusalem. Jifna has retained a Christian majority since the 6th century. Its total landRead more
area consists of 6,015 dunams, of which 420 are designated as built-up areas, most of the remainder being covered with olive, fig and apricot groves. Jifna is governed by a village council, led (2008) by chairman Jabi Na'im Kamil.
Jifna was known as Gophnah (Hebrew: גופנה; Ancient Greek: Γοφνα, Gophna) at the time of the First Jewish-Roman War, and after its conquest became a Roman regional capital, though remaining predominantly Jewish. Jewish presence at the site is thought to have ended in the aftermath of the Bar Kokhba revolt. Later, the town grew less significant politically, but nevertheless prospered as a Christian locality under Byzantine and later Arab rule due to its location on a trade route. St. George's Church in Jifna was built in the 6th century, but fell into disrepair and was not rebuilt until the arrival of the Crusaders in the late 10th century. However, it again fell into ruin after the Crusaders were driven out by the Ayyubids. In modern times, the ruins of St. George's Church have become a tourist attraction. During the period of Ottoman control in Palestine the tower of an ancient Roman structure in Jifna became the location of a jail house.
Jifna has local traditions and legends relating to the Holy Family, and to the village water-spring. It is also locally known for its apricot harvest festival; each year, during the late Spring period, hundreds travel to the village to harvest the fruit during its brief season.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Jifnā?
Within an hour or so of Jifnā: Church of the Holy Sepulchre (20 km), Yad Vashem (21 km), Jerusalem Old City (21 km), Western Wall (Wailing Wall) (21 km).
Are there any good drives near Jifnā?
The nearest famous roads are King's Highway and Scorpions Ascent (Ma'ale Akrabim).
Where is Jifnā?
Jifnā is in West Bank, Palestine, about 4 km from ‘Ayn Yabrūd.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 1,693
- Continent
- Asia
- Country
- Palestine
- Region
- West Bank
- Timezone
- Asia/Hebron
- Coordinates
- 31.9619, 35.2134
Tags
Worth the detour from Jifnā
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
museum
Yad Vashem
Israel's official memorial to the Holocaust, with deeply moving exhibits and a striking modernist museum built into a mountainside.
21 km · about 25 min drive
landmark
Jerusalem Old City
A walled sacred city of one square kilometer containing holy sites for Judaism, Christianity, and Islam within four historic quarters.
21 km · about 25 min drive
landmark
Western Wall (Wailing Wall)
The holiest site where Jews can pray, a 2,000-year-old limestone remnant of the Second Temple retaining wall in the Old City of Jerusalem.
21 km · about 25 min drive
landmark
Dome of the Rock
The iconic gold-domed Islamic shrine on the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif, built in 691 CE over the sacred Foundation Stone.
21 km · about 25 min drive
cathedral
Church of the Nativity
One of the oldest continuously operating churches in the world, built over the traditional birthplace of Jesus.
29 km · about 35 min drive
restaurant
Abu Hassan (Ali Karavan)
A Jaffa hummus counter running since 1971, famous for masabacha made with whole chickpeas and extra tahini. It sells out and closes by mid-afternoon, and the queue starts well before that.
44 km · about 50 min drive
landmark
Old Jaffa
One of the oldest port cities in the world with 4,000 years of history, now an artists' quarter with galleries, restaurants, and views of Tel Aviv's skyline.
45 km · about 50 min drive
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