DEIR DIBWAN: WHERE THE PAST MEETS THE PRESENT
Deir Dibwan is a Palestinian village located 7 kilometers east of Ramallah. It is said the its name was of a monk named Devan who lived there and had a monastery, which was called the Devan Monastery. Another story says that there was a monastery (deir in Arabic) in the place where there was a diwan, where people gathered for discussion, and it was named Deir of al-Diwan and later turned to Deir Dibwan.
POINTS OF INTEREST
SHEIK AMMAR SHRINE AND AL BAYYARA PARK
The shrine takes the name from the companion of Prophet Mohammed Ammar bin Yasser during his emigration to Syria, who has passed by the place and prayed in it, and later on, a small mosque was set up on that location in his memory. In the year 1999, a garden and a park were developed by a group of young volunteers and later on, renovated in 2016, was called Al-Bayyara Park
Address: On southeast of the village. Open 5pm-12 pm
TAL AI
The khirbet Tel Ai, about 855m above sea level, is located 3 km north west of Deir Dibwan.
Tel Ai is one of the most important archaeological sites in Palestine, dating back even earlier of the Canaanite period (4000 BC – 1200 BC). It is considered one of few locations in the world that still has signs of the civilizations from that period.
KHIRBET AL-MAQATIR
Khirbet al-Maqatir is located in the southwestern part of the town of Deir Dibwan, in an elevated area of 900m above sea level, opposite to Tel Ai’ in the north. The place allows a wide view of the landscape around the village.
LAMSAT UMMY CENTER
Lamsat Ummy is an heritage center with a museum located in the downtown of Deir Dibwan containing authentic heritage holdings of the end of the Ottoman period. It is hosted in an old house built in the year 1923. In 2017 Dr. Fayek Owais, owner of the building, restored and devoted it to host a charity initiative called Lamsat Ummy “Mother’s Touch” in the memory of his mother.
Lamsat Ummy is a women organization, which looks after the museum.
Upon request, they can cook Palestinian specialties. The visitors can have the recipe and take part in making one of them and acquire the experience of cooking it.
For visiting, call the Lamsat Ummy Association director Subreen Taha. Mob +970 59732 3529 Email subreen@oweisco.com.
SEEQ WADI
The Seeq Wadi is a great inhabited valley starting from the eastern part of Deir Dibwan that goes on for 10 km ending up to the Jericho valley that after few kilometers enters Jericho.
The hiking, which can be led by the local guide, is a 4-hour easy walk, along a flat and not dangerous, yet challenging but well-marked path.
It can be made all along the year, but it is suggested to plan the walk in spring, when it is colored by the flowers, whereas in summer should be made in the early hours of the day to avoid the heat.
Along the Seeq and overlooking the Jordan Valley, the interesting traces of a Roman monastery with remains of a church, rooms, columns and with carvings in the rocks can be visited.
