Old Hebron Museum

Historical museum located in the center of Palestine, is dedicated to show the formation of Hebron since ancient times with evidence of archaeological pieces dating back to the Bronze Age and ethnographic elements made during the Ayyubid and Mamluk Dynasties.

Old Hebron Museum
Photo by Aman Ajam
Type:	Historical Museum
Country:	Palestine
Establishment:	2021

The Old Hebron Museum (Arabic: متحف الخليل القديمة) is a historical museum located in the center of Palestine, is dedicated to show the formation of Hebron since ancient times with evidence of archaeological pieces dating back to the Bronze Age and ethnographic elements made during the Ayyubid and Mamluk Dynasties.

History

The building is located in the Old City of Hebron with an early 12th Century architectural style, this building functioned as one of the first hotels in the city, additionally it also functioned as a shoe workshop.^[1]

The building was rehabilitated with the help of UNESCO and the Swedish Development Agency, which classified the buildings of the Old City of Hebron as a World Heritage Site in 2017. Additionally the museum features old maps and photographic exhibits of the city of Hebron, and a room dedicated to showing the history of Ibrahimi Mosque (Arabic: الحرم الابراهيمي الشريف).^[2]

Part of the exhibits were preserved by the Hebron Rehabilitation Committee (Arabic: لجنة إعمار الخليل), among them are collections dating from the periods of the Ayyubid Sultanate, Mamluk Sultanate and the Ottoman Empire.^[3]

Collections

The museum contains tools dating from the Bronze to Iron Age period, as well as a library containing manuscripts and books about Palestine.^[4] In addition, the museum also has 3D models made by students of the Polytechnic University of Palestine of various religious sites due to the impositions of the illegal Israeli occupation.^[5]

Gallery

Various oil lamps and vessels dating from the Byzantine, Hellenistic and Roman periods (2022) - Photo by Aman Ajman

Several coins used in the Ancient Islamic World such as Mamluk Dirham, Ummayyad Fals and Abbasid Dirham (2022) - Photo by Aman Ajman

Photographic exhibition about the Ibrahimi Mosque (2022) - Photo by Aman Ajman

References

1. Al-Shoubaki, M. (2021-10-21). متحف الخليل القديمة.. تحفة معمارية توثق تاريخ المدينة. فلسطين أون لاين. (in Arabic)

2. Abu, S. (2021-10-28). في الخليل القديمة: متحف في لحظة المواجهة. القدس العربي. Al Quds. (in Arabic)

3. Al-Tamimi, J. (2021-10-14). متحف البلدة القديمة في الخليل... تراث يزخر بتاريخ عريق وأمجاد فلسطينية الهوية. WAFA Agency. (in Arabic)

4. Mohsen, M. (2023-06-14). الخليل.. حضارات ومواقع أثرية تسرد حقبات تاريخية. عرب 48. (in Arabic)

5. Preserving and maintaining cultural ties through the Old Hebron Museum. (2022) UNESCO Ramallah Office.

• Support humanitarian organizations in Palestine:
  • PCRF - UNRWA - Islamic Relief
• More information about Palestinian and Islamic culture: PCC