West Bank walking trail highlights Palestinian heritage, culture
A walking trail across several villages in the West Bank aims to boost local and foreign tourism, in a bid to show the world that Palestinians have a rich cultural and archaeological heritage.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — A group of Palestinians and foreign tourists departed April 19 on a 21-day hiking expedition to explore the history and sites of the West Bank. The trail they'll follow is called Masar Ibrahim al-Khalil (MIAK), which is Arabic for Abraham’s Path. The expedition aims to highlight the suffering of the Palestinian people on the one hand, and introduce foreign tourists to the Palestinian culture, heritage and history on the other.
MIAK kicked off in 2009 as a nonprofit community-based tourism initiative. The 321-kilometer (200-mile) walking trail begins in the village of Rummaneh, northwest of Jenin in the northern West Bank, and ends in Beit Marsam to the south of Hebron in the southern West Bank. The trail runs through 53 Palestinian villages and Bedouin communities.
