The Hamsa Trail begins at the El-Baboor Square at the Umm El-Fahim intersection, on the Wadi Ara road. El-Baboor is French for engine, and this is where, in 1884, the first water powered flourmill in the area was built by Hassan El-Saad. El-Saad built two other mills, one in Lajun (now Kibbutz Megido) and another in the village of Kafin in Northern Samaria. Here was also the site of the local oil press, operated by mules and water from the Ein Ibrahim spring on the side of the mountain.

Today the El-Baboor building houses the famous El-Baboor restaurant. The Ein Ibrahim neighborhood is situated on the western side of the Wadi Ara road, on the Menashe and El Roha Hills.

The El-Baboor square marks the watershed between the northern and southern parts of the Iskander (or Amir in Hebrew) mountain chain. The Ein Ibrahim spring flows south and into the Eiron River, which starts its flow in the hills of Umm El Fahim and runs west. The spring flows year round. Near it is a water reservoir and a public garden. From the Ein Ibrahim neighborhood one has a clear view to the south of the center of the city. 200 m north of Ein Ibrahim is the Adalia spring, which flows into Wadi Hshan and from there to the Jezreel Valley.

The Hamsa Trail begins at the El-Baboor square and from there turns to the center of the old city by way of the main entrance road, El-Hanook (the narrow road), named in reference to the topography of the path south of the Wadi Ara road. This is the old road to the settlement. The road winds its way up along the riverbed to the center of the ancient settlement, first mentioned by historians in 1265. During the Mamlukian period the place was given as an estate to Noor Alladin Zinki, a Mamlukian army officer.

The original settlement of Umm El-Fahim was built on the slopes of Mt. Iskander, the highest in the Umm El-Fahim mountain ridge (521m). Owing to its height, the mountain is rich in springs that flow all year round and it was these springs that provided the basis for the establishment of the town’s neighborhoods. Today the residents all belong to one of four families: the Agbaria, Mahajna, Mahamid and Jabarin families.

In recent years the entrance road leading from Wadi Ara to the center of the old town has become an urban hub for the city and for other nearby settlements. It is becoming the center of local commerce, industry, economy and public services. This development is in keeping with the historical role played by the Wadi Ara intersection.

At our next stop, at Ras El-Hish, we will be able to see archeological and historical findings that point to the past prominence of Wadi Ara.

From the El-Baboor Square we can observe the development of an urban nucleus, and the sprawl of the buildings down the mountainside and into the Wadi. The commercial growth around the intersection area is also clearly evident. On the other side of the road are the police station, the fire station and the El-Wadi market. Next to the square and the El-Baboor restaurant stands the old oil press, which now hosts a country style restaurant. Next to it is a factory outlet store, a Super-Pharm drugstore and a road that leads to several furniture factories, show halls and a modern oil press.

We will cross the road in the direction of El-Hanook, past a large square, and continue along the El-Medina Street to the city center. Shopping centers, both large and small, are being built along the road. On the right one may enjoy a short rest at the Sun Rise café and bakery. On the other side of the road is a round square and at its center a sculpture of a giant traditional water jug. Around the base of the sculpture the 99 names of God mentioned in the Koran are engraved. The nearby fountain was built by local residents as part of a community project. The kiosk, which opens in the evening, offers coffee and light refreshments. In the evening people come to the grassy patch, and enjoy the sound of water trickling from the fountain.

Further down the road more commercial development is evident. There is a gas station, car garages, two shopping malls: El-Manar and Abed El-Latif, shops, print shops, several restaurants, including the El-Saria, the Mangal and the Taboon, a car wash, an Internet company, the El-Basha coffee roasting plant, the Abu Shakra flavoring syrups company and various other stores which line the road all the way to the old city center.

We pass three traffic circles. On each of them stands a memorial for one of the three victims of a police shooting, killed during the October 2000 demonstrations at the start of the El-Akza intifada. The memorials feature verses from the Koran.

After we pass the second circle we turn right in the direction of the Art Gallery.

The Umm El-Fahim Art Gallery has been operating under the auspices of the El-Sabar association since 1996. It was the gallery that initiated the environmental design project of which the Hamsa Trail (encompassing five aspects of the city’s life: social, cultural, educational, environmental and economic) is an important part. The gallery hosts changing exhibits on a variety of themes. It is an important venue for Palestinian art and is considered one of the leading galleries for contemporary art in Israel.

From the gallery the road continues to the Abedallah Ibn Masoud mosque, named after one of the Sahaba, the companions of the prophet Muhammad, may he rest in peace. We now enter the residential neighborhoods that surround the old city center. The road to the left of the mosque takes us to the El-Battan soccer field. Along it are four neighborhoods. From the gallery to the mosque lies the El-Marmala neighborhood. To the right of the road and past the mosque is the El-Battan neighborhood. Battan is Arabic slang for a rounded, belly shaped object, and the name is a reference to the round shaped hill on which the neighborhood has been built. To the left of the road is the Biader El-Mahajna neighborhood and to the left of the soccer field is the Ras El-Hish neighborhood, where we are now headed. From the soccer field we can see the tops of the Menashe (El Roha) Hills. To our west is the Ras El-Hish lookout, overlooking Wadi Ara. To get there, we turn left and walk along the field to a T-junction. Then we turn right and continue to the lookout. From here we can see Mount Carmel and the Mediterranean. The new houses are proof of the city’s expansion from the old center and in the direction of Wadi Ara.

The Ras El-Hish lookout:

Wadi Ara was the main commercial route connecting Mesopotamia (modern Iraq) with Egypt. At 392 m above sea level the lookout offers a view of the Wadi Ara road and its environs. From Ras El-Hish we are able to see the Jezreel Valley, Mount Tavor, the El Roha Hills, The Carmel mountain chain, Daliat el-Carmel and Haifa University, the Menashe Hills, Wadi Milek and the Mediterranean Sea.

Wadi Ara is a geological boundary. We are standing on Mount Amir, a mountain composed of hard limestone, which accounts for its rocky appearance. Ruins from several historical sites have been found along the road. The most famous of them is an ancient oil press from the Byzantine era that remained in use until the Islamic period. These ruins can be seen when you visit the Ein El-Zeitun neighborhood.

The carob trees that used to grow in the area have all but disappeared due to the charcoal industry that lent the place it name (Umm El-Fahim is Arabic for ‘The mother of charcoal’). Charcoal, produced by firing wood to remove water and other volatiles, provided a clean source of energy and was the only available fuel material until the advent of the modern era. The area was also used as grazing land and cropland. Winter crops consisted mostly of wheat and barley, while the summer crops included hay, chickpeas and sesame. Today, due to water shortages, the area is covered with olive groves, almond trees and JNF forests. Near some of the springs, such as the El-Zeitun spring, one can still find the remnants of old orchards. Near the sources of springs one can find vegetable plots of eggplants, tomatoes, cucumbers, parsley and maluchia (tumble thistle). Figs, pomegranates, citrus and quince grow in the orchards. In the winter and spring the residents gather wild vegetation, such as chicory, hyssop, loof (Arum Palestinum or black calla), thyme-leaved savory and more.

The Ein Ibrahim neighborhood, on the northern side of the Wadi, also bears the signs of the city’s resurgence. New commercial, services and recreation venues are available and the slopes overlooking Wadi Ara are all zoned for building.

The residents of the nearby Mahajna neighborhood are all members of the Mahajna family. Some of them are descendents of old local families, while others are refugees from the Lajun village (now Kibbutz Megido) and moved to Umm El-Fahim during the 1948 war.

Café Ras El-Hish: Sitting at the Ras El-Hish café is always a pleasant experience, but sunsets offer the guests an especially magnificent view, as the glowing Mediterranean spreads before them and as far as the eye can see. The café offers traditional coffee, tea with sage, sandwiches, and an assortment of water pipes. Those in a hurry can have an espresso. Traditional coffee on the other hand is a more lengthy affair which requires peace and tranquility.

From the lookout we turn south, past the marble workshop and towards the Ibn Sina square. Grapevines cover the arbors in the gardens and balconies along our path. Most gardens combine decorative plants with utility plants, such as lemons, figs, pomegranates, herbs and vegetables.

In most houses the staircase is external to the house. The walls around the houses are varied and textured. Small sheds for sheep have been built in some yards on the left side of the road and add another facet to this urban tapestry…The sheep’s milk is used to make cheeses, labane (a type of sour cream cheese) and sour milk. Down the road is the Ibn Sina intersection, a place where several neighborhoods meet. The square is named after the local public school. The school building was the first building in the area. Here stood once the (only) high school in the city. The school’s former name, Jorof (the dig), was given because it was dug into the rocky terrain. The school building was later joined by many other buildings, starting from the direction of the old city center. Today it stands at the intersection between the Biader El-Mahajna, the Ras El-Hish, the Shikoon and the El-Masiat neighborhoods.

The word Biader refers to the open square where family members used to gather and process their crops (wheat, barley, sesame etc.). Each farmer would then take his own produce and store it in his house.

Shikoon was the name given to the first neighborhood built at the end of the 1970’s outside the geographical boundaries of the four major clans on land leased from the Israel Land Administration.

The name Ibn Sina was given to the school only in the late 1980’s. Giving names to streets and to public buildings is a relatively recent practice, initiated in 1988 by the municipality after the Islamic Movement came to power. Since then, streets and schools previously referred to by letters are given names commemorating the Islamic, Arabic and Palestinian history.

Ibn Sina (Avicenna, 980-1037), a Persian physician, philosopher and scientist, wrote 450 books, many of them on subjects related to medicine and philosophy. He is considered the father of modern medicine and the leading Islamic scientist of all times. His most famous works are The Book of Healing and The Medical Canon.

The Ibn Sina square includes a variety of shops and businesses, many of them named after the great man: The Ibn Sina chickpea restaurant, a pharmacy, a bakery, a grocery store, an electrical appliances store, cafes, a sweets store, a falafel stand, a home appliances store, a stationary store, hair salons and more.

The Ibn Sina chickpea restaurant:

The Ibn Sina restaurant serves Galilee style traditional hummus (chickpea dip), together with a spicy tomato sauce, chopped onions and pickles.

The hummus is served from morning till noon. Customers may buy special pita bread (camaje) at the nearby bakery. Regular pita bread is available at the restaurant.

From the square we continue past the different shops to the Ourabi grocery store at the entrance to the Biader El-Mahajna neighborhood.

Ourabi’s grocery store offers a variety of fresh vegetables and herbs, many of them related to the wild plants the residents would once gather in the field: chicory, cyclamen leaves, hyssop, thistles and more. According to season one can find here fresh or dried spice, medicinal, and perfume herbs, as well as olives and olive oil. Processed olives can be purchased year round.

Up the street, on the right side, is the Sahinum electrical appliances store. ‘Sahinum’ was the name of a popular Syrian sitcom featuring a hotel in the Damascus Kasbah by that name. It was because of this series, broadcasted during the 1970’s and starring leading Arab comedians (Dorid Laham, Juar Basidra and others) that the word acquired a metaphorical meaning implying a lodge or a place of rest. Israeli Arabs began using it as a place name during the 1980’s.

Palestinian Arab business owners, not only in Umm El-Fahim, but also in other places in Israel, had difficulty reconciling Arab names with identities. The frequent use of the name Sahinum points to a longing for a cultural identity, such as the one experienced by them when watching the TV series.

The road turns slightly to the right and brings us to the heart of the Mahajna neighborhood. We climb up the street to the intersection and turn right into the Mahajna market. This is the historical center of the city. The Biader was the center around which evolved the rural and urban life of the El-Mahajna clan. A network of alleys, both narrow and wide developed around it, inner courtyards, yards, ancient houses and modern structures were built.

The El-Mahajna market street is noted for the large number of flour shops and fast food concessions: skewered meat, falafel, and pizza, roasting plant, cafes and sweets. The ‘Arab Desk’ bookstore was once a veritable treasure of books and newspapers until the time when newspapers home delivery took over and later the Internet. Now an Internet café has opened near by.

The flower shops hark back to days when spice, medicinal and perfume herbs were sold next to vegetables and gifts. With the rise in the residents’ standard of living, dedicated flower shops have opened, where customers may buy flowers for festive occasions, holidays and for their visits to sick people. Further down the road is a nature store, selling perfumes and natural, including medicinal, products.

The Mahajna market is brimming with life throughout the day and until the late evening hours. Three wide alleys, typical of the old style of building, branch out from it. At the El-Mahfoud alley stands an old house (built before 1948), its balcony adorned with a wrought iron handrail. A stroll through the courtyards and alleys next to the Mahajna market affords a sense of the original culture of building and living.

Inner gardens, details of windows, staircases and doors, all are means to create private spaces in the midst of a crowded settlement.

As we turn left, further up, the turret and the golden dome of the Omar Ibn El-Hatab are revealed. This street is famous for its women’s clothing shops, bridal apparel, jewelry and shoe stores. The street comes to an end at the mosque square.

The Omar Ibn El-Hatab mosque was previously named after the El-Mahajna clan. Its current name was given to it as part of the Islamic Movement renaming efforts. In the mornings a fruit and vegetable market is held at the square in front of the mosque. On Fridays one can find here additional products, including shoes, clothes, home appliances and CD’s. Five alleys radiate from the square. The right alley leads to the Mahamid and Mahajna cemetery. This alley has been designated as one of the clusters of the environmental design project.

The alley to left of the mosque leads to the Mahamid neighborhood, and the one going straight leads to the Agbaria neighborhood and to the main building of city hall.

Fifty meters down the left alley we come to two old but well-preserved mud huts. These are still used for living and storage. We return to the mosque and follow the road to city hall.

The city hall square connects the first four neighborhoods: Agbaria, Mahajna, Mahamid and Jabarin. It is because of this location that the city hall building was built here in 1965. The building has become a center of public activity and around it evolved commercial and building activities.

Here used to stand houses, reminiscent in their building techniques of the rural settlement this used to be. The main building materials were mud and stone, quarried at the El- Mahper quarry near Ein Ibrahim at the entrance to the city. Each small house consisted of a single room, at times just an alcove that served as kitchen, bedroom, guestroom and storage room.

North of the City Hall Square is the ‘city hall cluster’, a collection of alleys that once ran along and between the mud structures. With time the mud structures were replaced by stone buildings. A stroll along these alleys conjures memories of the old settlement. From the northern end of the sloping alleys we turn left to the Abu Kazam cluster. Here stands the building of the Jordanian military governor, who served here between the years 1948 to 1967. Remnants of old structures are standing next to renewed building projects. The aroma wafting over the square originates from the seed roasting plant and the nearby café. The local cobbler sells socks, shoelaces, shoe polish and brushes. The nearby tailor makes suits to order and has a large selection of fabrics. Below the governor’s building there is a ladies’ hair salon. Men and women do not share hair salons.

From Abu Kazam we return to the City Hall Square to the Abu Kasayem candy and seed roasting shop. The candies, stored in a variety of transparent containers of different shapes and sizes, lend a festive and colorful look to the entire store. The combination of sweet and savory foods reflects the traditional fare offered to houseguests. During the Eid Al-Fitr holiday, marking the end of the Ramadan fast, the guests are traditionally treated to Kaake Al Eid, served with sweets, roasted seeds, Sada (bitter coffee) and sweet coffee. Before the holidays the residents often crowd to the shop to purchase the prerequisite sweets.

From the city hall the alley continues to the Abu Obeida mosque. Here the Alnoor Altabi association operates a medical center including a first aid station, a dentist clinic, a laboratory, mammography and ultrasound services, an alternative medicine center and a Red Star of David emergency services station. The same mosque houses a culture center that serves the local residents.

We follow the map to the Aked Agbaria cluster. Here stands one of the largest and oldest buildings in the city. Built more than 200 years ago, this structure belongs to a bygone era when the living quarters and work area were combined under one roof. The entrance level served as an olive oil press while the upper level served as living quarters. The building, which is supported by magnificent stone arches, was built for Hassan El-Saad, the Effendy of Umm El-Fahim at the time of the Ottoman Empire.

We turn left to the Al Maidan market square. This used to be the Biader of the Agbaria clan, where crops were gathered, processed and distributed between clan members. Weddings and mourning ceremonies were also held at the square. In 1948, following the signing of the armistice between Israel and Jordan, this was the site of the welcome ceremony for the Israeli military governor. Each clan had its own Biader.

The Al Maidan market was the first important landmark on the road leading from Wadi Ara to the rural settlement, and so the Agbaria Biader came to fulfill an important role in the economic and financial activities of the entire village. The first bank in Umm El-Fahim was opened on this street.

The Al Maidan market is located between the Aked Agbaria and the local taxi station. Around it are the first stone houses to be built in the city. Some of these houses can be seen from the area adjacent to the Aked Agbaria. A visit to the corner haberdashery store reveals the thickness of the walls of these buildings and the domed ceilings, designed to optimize height and minimize weight.

Mahmas El-Fahmawi seed roasting and café is the oldest shop in the market. Customers are treated to a traditional cup of coffee spiced with cardamom, and are invited to taste the various roasted seeds. The local favorites are the elongated and salty sunflower seeds.

The street is lined with music stores, clothing stores, a barber shop, home utensils shop, vegetable stores and a kiosk that offers coffee, tea and sweets. The narrow market street ends at the old access road to the settlement. From here the vistas of the Jezreel Valley, the lower Galilee mountains, Mount Tavor and the Sea of Galilee are revealed. On a clear winter day one can see the snow on top of Mount Hermon.

The Al Maidan Square continues to be an integral part of the city. The local taxi station serves the local residents as well as residents of the neighboring towns and villages. Around it are a number of cafés and kiosks. The cafés serve as a meeting place and as a ‘lobby’ for passengers waiting for their rides. Also in the square are a bookstore and the city’s oldest photography store. At the Biader, hitchhikers wait to catch rides to Wadi Ara.

To the right of the Al Maidan Square, the Tariq Al-Madina street winds its way up the slope of the Iskander Mountain. At 521 m, the mountain’s peak is the highest point in the area. The settlement nestles at the foot of the mountain. The road, which becomes steep at the Biader Al Maidan, comes to an end at the Iskander lookout.

This part of the road marks the beginning of the Jabarin neighborhood. The Tariq Al-Madina Street, which started at the Umm El-Fahim intersection, becomes the main road which crosses the Jabarin neighborhood here. Up the road, on a steep slope overlooking the view, sits the Agbaria cemetery. The cemetery, which served the Agbaria and Jabarin clans, was once located outside the city limits but has now become part of the urban fabric. Another cemetery, at the edge of the Mahamid alley cluster, serves the Mahajna and Mahamid extended families. Islamic law calls for modest burial sites and graves may be marked by two stones rather than by tombstones. Various means by which families chose to mark their graves can be seen here.

Further up the road are the stores and the residential dwellings of the Ein Allenby neighborhood. Before the construction of the security fence, this was the main rout traveled by northern West Bank residents on their way to work in Israel. This contributed to the commercial development of the street. Despite the fence and the blocking of the crossing the commercial activity still thrives, owing to the development of the southern city entrance towards Mei Ami, Katzir and Wadi Ara at the end of the street. To the right, in front of the Atid technological school, lie the remnants of the Ein Allenby spring.

Umm El-Fahim is also known as Balad Al Maia Wa’ayen, the city of the hundred and one springs. The presence of a high groundwater table is responsible for the many springs that used to flow in the area. As a result of over pumping and drilling by the Mekorot water company many springs have dried out. The springs were the nuclei around which building clusters and neighborhoods formed, and many neighborhoods were named after nearby springs. We are now standing at the Ein Nabi neighborhood. Ein is a spring in Arabic and the neighborhood was named after the Ein Nabi spring. Later on we will visit the Ein Al Shaara neighborhood. Of the ten springs that remain active, most flow all year round. Near some of them one can still find traditional farming of maluchia (Jew’s mallow), tomatoes, eggplants and lentils, all irrigated by the old flood irrigation system. For that purpose water from the springs is collected into small pools. Prior to its connection to the national water system the springs served as the only water source for the city’s residents, domestic and wild animals and the local flora. To this day many of the residents still fill bottles with drinking water from the local springs, and in particular with water from the Ein Al Mualka, Ein El-Uuasta an Ein Haled springs.

A variety of social traditions have evolved around the springs. Women would come together to fill up their water jars. They would balance the water-filled jars on their heads, using a special step as they walked. Around the spring, new acquaintances were formed, matches were made and special homecomings were held to welcome new brides, as they would come to fill the first jar of water for their new homes. Here wedding dishes were washed, sheered wool was rinsed and cattle and horses were cleaned. Near the springs were built various utility structures, such as the Ran, a tub that was chiseled into the rock, or built from stones and cement.

The Ein Allenby spring is an example of a spring that has disappeared under the densely built neighborhood. The spring water now flows into the municipal water system.

We continue our ascent to the El-Ein supermarket. The road continues to the southern city exit. We turn left and climb the steep ascent to the top of Mount Iskander.

Behind us the view of the city is revealed in all its beauty. It is recommended to walk backwards so as not to miss the peak of the Siet Hizaran hill and the interesting pattern formed by the city neighborhoods on the face of the hilly terrain. The climb leads us to the peak of Mount Iskander. The mountain was named after the righteous Sheikh Iskander whose grave is at the center of the peak. In the 12^th century, during the reign of Saladin, this peak was used as an observation and warning point overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. From here strategic information about enemies approaching from the sea was passed eastward to Balad Ashem (land of Shem), an area that included (then) Pasletine, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. After the death of Saladin (who was Kurdish) these observation points were turned into makams, structures that included a single room, in it a holy grave and outside it a praying area. Praying near a grave is forbidden according to Islam. With the advent of urban development mosques were erected near the makams.

From the top of Mount Iskander one can see the Mediterranean Sea to the west, the Galilee mountains, Lebanon, Mount Hermon and Syria to the north, the Gilboa Hills, Northern Samaria and the Jordanian Gilboa Hills to the east, Southern Samaria and the northern edges of Tel Aviv to the south.

On a clear day the entire center of the country and north of it can be seen from here.

From the Sheikh’s grave we turn west to a path that winds its way to the peak. Several observation points are located along this path. The first one is only a hundred meters from the grave and looks out to the west. From here once can see the city and its development. The two golden mosque domes mark the historical center of the city. Beyond them one can see the Mediterranean Sea, Caesarea, Jisser el-Zarka and the Hadera power station. To the north stretch the El Roha lands- the Menashe Hills, Wadi Milek, the Carmel mountain ridge, Daliat el-Carmel, Usafia, Haifa University, the Haifa bay, and farther up also Acre, Nahariya and the Lebanon Mountains.

The ‘Zavia’ Sufi mosque stands near this observation point. The Sufis are a Muslim sect that emphasizes love of God and sincere belief in God rather than literal dogma. Sufism separated from mainstream Islam towards the end of the 8^th century. The small group of followers referred to themselves as pilgrims “traversing a spiritual path”. God and truth were referred to as The Beloved. Later on they adopted the name Sufis. They preached a life of frugality and abstinence. Tzoof means wool, and the Sufis wore woolen garments and adopted an ascetic lifestyle. The Sufis mystical and spiritual writings offered an emotional, rather than an intellectual, path for bringing man closer to God. The Sufi’s writings influence is evident in the works of Ibn Gvirol, the Rambam and other Jewish writers during the Spanish Golden Age.

In close proximity to the Zavia are the graves of the princesses: Al Amirat. It is believed that these graves were the burial sites of the daughters of a monarch dynasty buried there during a long period of fortification.

We continue on the path towards the observation point looking north. The view from here is unique, in that it stretches all the way to the top of Mount Hermon and the Syrian plateau.

Below us is Marj Ibn Amar – the Jezreel Valley, Afulla, Iksaal, Nazareth and Mount Tavor. Near Megido one can see traces of the previous settlement, Lajun, where some of the residents of Umm El-Fahim came from in 1948. These residents are considered present absentees, and continue to ask for the return of their lands.

Farther on is the observation point looking east, overlooking the Jordanian Irbid Mountains, the Gilboa Hills, the road to Beit Sean and the Northern Samaria Hills. From here we can see the Israeli security fence, separating the Palestinian Authority from the State of Israel. Beyond the south part of the fence one can see the villages of Yamoon, Sila Al Hartia, Tainik, Sabah Elhir and Jalame. North of it lies Suisa, a green mountainous area which is part of the Umm El-Fahim municipality and is only sparsely populated. Here is a large park where one can stop for a picnic or follow a nature trail. During the summer months, summer camps for the city’s children operate here.

From the top of Mount Iskander we follow the road descending to the north. The slope is steep at parts and will take us 200 meters down. Beautiful vistas are revealed to us during our descent. We can see the northeastern city limits transform into open views. Our next observation point is to the right, past a row of affluent new houses of different architectural styles. To our right is a spacious house with a diagonally lined front. We turn right and follow the path for about 50 meters to a point overlooking the valley. In front of us are the valley, the Galilee, the Gilboa Hills, Northern Samaria, the city of Jenin and the Jordanian Jilaboon-Gilboa Hills. The city of Umm El-Fahim extends all the way to the security fence, seen here at the foot of the mountain. To the north of the fence are the Wadi Milhem and Suisa neighborhoods. Taibeh and Yamoon, on the other side of the fence, are part of the Palestinian Authority. In the future the city of Umm El-Fahim will grow in the direction of the Suisa lands, but at present the area is sparsely built.

We continue our descent down the road. We are at the edge of the city, the buildings are sparse and old olive trees (Roman Zeitun) grow around us. At the intersection we turn left and continue to the next intersection. The Hamsa trail veers to the right, to Halil Street. But before we turn, let us continue a little bit farther and turn right into the El-Halil courtyard. This part of the first environmental design cluster was completed and inaugurated in March 2006.

We return to the path and enter the Burgul neighborhood. Twenty years ago this was a remote neighborhood and its residents grew geese for a living. We see one of these geese pens as we cross into the neighborhood. Many of the names given to tracts of land here can be traced back to local folklore. The El-Acil plot was named after the pure bred Arab horse which was once traded for this land. Another plot, Asafah (forehead) was named after a horse with a peculiar-shaped forehead. We cross the densely built part of the neighborhood and arrive at an open area.

The local vegetation is revealed in all its splendor. Down the hill is the Ein Ayoun orchard, resplendent with giant poplars, citrus tress, plums, figs, pomegranates, grapevines, pecans, pistachia trees, carobs, oaks, medicinal herbs such as sage (shijiri), hyssop (zaatar), Persian hyssop (Persian zaatar) and the common rue (pijan). Edible wild plants can also be found here. The zaamut (cyclamen) and lasiani (hollyhock) leaves are used to prepare leaves stuffed with rice and meat when the grapevines have shed their leaves. The leaves of the hubeiza (common mallow), ilik (chicory) and akoob (tumble thistle) are used in the preparation of the main course of the meal.

The road continues down to a T-junction. We turn right. Down to our left is a municipal installation which is part of the road-safety education project. We are drawing closer to the security fence, west of Taibeh. At the next intersection we turn left and arrive at a dirt road. We are in the middle of an open field. Around us are natural forest trees and almond and olive orchards. As the seasons turn we can find here cyclamens, anemones, asparagus, hollyhocks, and medicinal herbs such as medicinal sage, the common hyssop and the common rue.

Looking east we can see the deep waterbed of the winding Haramia Wadi, alongside the distant and pastoral view of the Gilboa Hills and the Jezreel Valley. There are many places to stop for a rest, look at the view, wander around in the fields or have a picnic. The animals too are drawn to this piece of nature. One can see here rabbits, and at times even deer. Above us, land birds and birds of prey are flying and gliding.

The winding dirt road continues parallel to and above the security fence. We pass the Umm Al Dib spring, nestled in a little valley between the path and the fence. Two carob trees standing in a cultivated field serve as a landmark for the spring.

The path bears to the right and away from the fence. Our next stop is a lookout next to another carob tree to the left of the path. Below us is another large carob tree. Once again the near views combine with the distant ones to create the unique tapestry so typical to Umm El-Fahim. The near view includes two of the city’s neighborhoods. To the right is the Wadi Milhem neighborhood and around it are almond orchards. For two weeks between the end of February and the beginning of March, the almond trees bloom, creating a magnificent white carpet around the neighborhood. To our left and up the hill is the Suisa neighborhood. In the distance are the Hill of Moreh, Mount Tavor, Nazareth and the Jezreel Valley. A look to the left reveals the urban edges of the city. The large blue-roofed building is the science and arts center, built with monies from the national lottery. The dense pine tree forest next to the Suisa neighborhood marks the municipal recreation area. The place includes playground installations, picnic tables and toilettes. During the summer months summer camps for the city’s children operate here. We continue down the dirt road and turn left at the next intersection. If we continued straight we would have arrived at the Wadi Milhem neighborhood. We arrive at a T-junction. The right turn takes us to the recreation area and the Suisa neighborhood. The Hamsa trail turns left though in the direction of the city. In the early spring one can find here the thorny Hurfeish (Crataegus azarolusa). You will have to peel the outer layers of the stem in order to find the edible core.

Further down lies a small valley and north of it is a pine grove and the Akada neighborhood, which is part of the Jabarin clan estates. The many orchards and agricultural crops in the valley are irrigated by water from the Ayoun spring, located up the road and to the right. The spring flows next to a tall poplar tree and is surrounded by figs, citrus trees and pomegranates. Ayoun is Arabic for springs, and the name derives from the large number of the nearby water springs, flowing around the orchard and from the nearby mountainside.

We follow the road up to an intersection. Once again the city is facing us. To the south are the two golden domes, marking the historical city center. Five roads radiate from this intersection. The descending road brings us to the bottom of the riverbed and to the access road from the Umm El-Fahim intersection. This road, part of which we have already seen/walked at the beginning of our tour, is the site of lively commerce and enterprise. Furniture stores, restaurants, bakeries, sweets stores, gas stations, shopping centers and more, can all be found here. We could continue down the road to one of the shops or restaurants. Instead the Hamsa trail leads us to the El-Kuds road, a new road to the right of the intersection. The other road to the right leads to the El Ayoun neighborhood and to the science and arts center. The El-Kuds road is the larger of the two and brings us to the entrance to the city. This new road will become part of a future ring road, which is planned to run around the city. The Hamsa trail continues along the El-Kuds road. From here we can see the old city center, the entrance road to the city, the shopping centers, the Adhar neighborhood on the northeast part of the city and the municipal soccer stadium. Also in this neighborhood are the covered market and the golden dome of the El-Ahlia high school for gifted children, the first of its kind in the city. Next to the soccer stadium is the local Alwaha (oasis) sports center.

We turn back down the El-Kuds road to the city’s entrance and to the parking lot in front of the El-Baboor restaurant. The views from the road are a testimony to the city’s development, from the old center to the new buildings, from the densely populated areas to the modern residential neighborhoods with their carefully planned infrastructure. All these are accomplished against the background of the uncompromising cliffs and steep ascents, into which the structures and roads of the growing city are etched.