This blog post is part 1 of a longer series where we explore the beauty and richness of Ein Qinya, a village around 5 kilometers northwest of Ramallah.
The beautiful village of Ein Qiniya is bordered by the lands of Ramallah city to the east, Al-Zaytouneh town to the north, Al Janiya and Deir Ibzi’ to the west, and ‘Ein ‘Arik and Beituniya to the south. This close location to Ramallah, is an added value for people who are based in Ramallah for work or just a visit and want to immerse themselves in nature without driving long hours.
The village with its surrounding mountains is rich with natural resources and dense history. Archeological evidence shows that the village has existed since the Roman-era of rule in Palestine.
During the Ottoman era, ‘Ein Qiniya village was called ‘Al Mahatta’, literally meaning the station, as it was the station for travelers between the coast and Ramallah and Jerusalem’s cities. Later on, the village was renamed Ein Qiniya due to the many springs in the village. In the village of Ein Qinya there are 5 natural springs.
Ein Qinya is famous for its natural springs and various plants, birds, and animals. It is considered the perfect place for spending time in nature. The location offers many activities including jogging, hiking, and rock-climbing or camping. Its location has made it a very famous stop for travelers for more than 400 years.
Arriving at Ein Qinya
Driving through Al Tireh neighborhood you will end up at a cross roads either leading to Ein Qinya or on a new road to the right leading to Birzeit town.
Bisan and I drove straight until we arrived at Ein Qinya. At the village’s main junction, we took the road on our left, also known as the Betounia road. We asked a young boy to direct us to the right road and he was so kind to help in his own funny way.
He said we should drive straight until we see an electricity pole next to a speed bump. Once there, we will find an unpaved offside road and we should be able to park the car and climb up on foot.
Shockingly, it was exactly as he described and Bisan and I couldn’t be more proud of ourselves. However, what we did not know is that there was a more easy way up but instead we climbed rocky walls until we arrived at one of the two grand homes located at the side of the hill.
We kept walking up through what now seemed like marked passageways and found ourselves at a second home, but this one was being renovated. But we are going to leave this story until later, because we found the most fascinating project and we plan on going back soon!
Bedouin friends and Goat Milk
Bisan and I purchased new camping chairs and we were too excited not to put them to the test in the mountains. Therefore, we decided to hike up the hill and chill under one of the many giant oak trees.
When we arrived up the hill we found out that our chairs are not only great but that up that hill, there are any beautiful people living and working daily.
We met Jihad, a bedouin from Arab Al Jahalin bedouin community, a Palestinian locality in Jerusalem Governorate located 6.2km southeast of Jerusalem City. Jihad and his family move in the summer to Ein Qinya in search for water and green landscapes for their 500+ herd.
He said the family used to relocate entirely during the summer months, but they no longer do that because they risk being denied going back to their locality by Israel, the occupying force of Palestine. Now the family remains in Arab Al -Jahalin and only those who must leave relocate to Ein Qinya until its time to go back.
Jihad was so kind to let us chat with him, discuss bedouin life and their relationship with the locals of Ein Qinya and even added us on Instagram! We asked him if he preferred modern life over their bedouin lifestyle but he said who enjoys being locked up in cement cubes. Bedouin life for him is freedom and he enjoys spending his days tending to the family’s herd in the lush mountains of Palestine.
As a gift, Jihad gave us fresh goat milk to try and we promised to visit him soon in Ein Qinya and we even planned to visit him in his locality once its time to move back to Arab Al-Jahalin. And that is one promise we intend to keep!
Relaxing under the Oak tree
After an eventful morning meeting Jihad, playing with his herd near the Ein Qinya Spring, we said our goodbyes and found shelter under a majestic oak tree. We opened our camping chairs and spent hours drinking in the amazing view of the valley until it was time to go back to Ramallah.
We recommend:
- If you plan on spending the day in the mountains, make sure you have enough food and drinks because the climb up is long and you would not want to cut your visit short because you are thirsty.
- Bring a blanket or a foldable chair to make yourself comfortable.
- Go early to Ein Qinya to enjoy the morning hike when the weather is cool and breezy.
- The hike is family friendly, especially that there is a designated path leading up to the spring.
- If you decide to go, please respect the nature, avoid damaging trees or leaving trash behind.
Well since you made it this far, check our intsagram for more video and photos from our day at ein Qinya and check out our other destinations in the highlights section!