Bethlehem combines a market in the heart of the old town with a museum dedicated to olive oil production and a layered architectural history. This offers different focal points for planning your trip: the market and old town, the history of olive oil, and buildings and religious heritage.

Market and historic old town

The traditional Al Suq market is located in the heart of Bethlehem’s old town. Farmers and traders sell fruit, vegetables and other goods there. A walk through Bethlehem’s historic old town takes you along winding lanes and up and down stairways. The market and the walk offer different perspectives: at Al Suq, the focus is on goods and trade; while walking, you can take in the old town’s winding layout. This lets you consider the market as a subject in its own right and the walk as a way to appreciate the old town’s character.

Olive oil production and its history

Bethlehem’s Olive Press Museum is housed in a restored building and explains the olive oil production process and its significance to Palestinian culture. Visitors can explore the production process there. For practical planning, it is advisable to check visiting arrangements in advance.

In the wider region, traditional oil pressing can be understood as a series of steps: olives were ground between stones while a pair of donkeys or mules turned the upper round stone. Pressing produced a paste from which oil could be extracted. “Badd” refers to a traditional oil-pressing method. These details place production in its historical context and show how oil was extracted from olives by pressing.

The Al Badd Museum is located in the Najajreh quarter, near the market square. One account attributes the museum building to the Giacaman family and identifies them as members of the Najajreh clan. It counts this clan among the eight clans that still belong to Bethlehem’s long-established community. This familial and communal context offers a different way to approach local history than the technical process of olive oil production.

Architectural history and religious heritage

Star Street features traditional Ottoman houses from the 17th century and mansions from the early 20th century with Italian influences. The comparison draws attention both to their different periods and to their architectural influences: Ottoman houses on the one hand, and the Italian influences on the later mansions on the other.

Liturgical services have been held continuously at the Church of the Nativity for more than a millennium. An initiative by the Bethlehem Mosaic Center, inaugurated in 2018, was intended to help preserve the old town and its cultural heritage. Together, these details show different periods: a religious practice continued over a long period and a specific project from more recent times.

Choose a focus for your stay

When looking for a hotel in Bethlehem, the city’s cultural offerings can help you decide where to start. Would you like to focus more on the market and old town, the history of olive oil production, or the architectural history of Star Street?

Discover more destinations: Qalqilya, Nablus, Ramallah, Gaza, Netiv Hagdud, Hebron, Uja e-Tahta, Samu'a.

For the broader travel overview: Palestine.