The use of a local limestone shaped the construction of the old town of Hebron/Al-Khalil during the Mamluk period between 1250 and 1517. The centre of interest of the town was the site of Al-Ibrahimi Mosque/The tomb of the Patriarchs whose buildings are in a compound built in the 1st century AD to protect the tombs of the patriarch Abraham/Ibrahim and his family. This place became a site of pilgrimage for the three monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The town was sited at the crossroads of trade routes for caravans travelling between southern Palestine, Sinai, Eastern Jordan and the north of the Arabian Peninsula. Although the subsequent Ottoman Period (1517-1917) heralded an extension of the town to the surrounding areas and brought numerous architectural additions, particularly the raising of the roof level of houses to provide more upper stories, the overall Mamluk morphology of the town is seen to have persisted with its hierarchy of areas, quarters based on ethnic, religious or professional groupings, and houses with groups of rooms organized according to a tree-shaped system.

Brief synthesis Hebron/Al-Khalil Old Town is one of the oldest living cities and spiritual centres in the world. Its numerous ancient, well preserved, monuments and buildings bear witness to a rich and prosperous past, through a series of successive and imbricated civilizations from very early antiquity until modern times. The World Heritage Property constitutes an important part of the continuous fabric of the present city which dates back to at least the Mamluk and Ottoman periods (13th – 20th century AD). The property is surrounded by a protective buffer zone comprised of the foothills around the Hebron/Al-Khalil valley and of archaeological remains that include Tell Rumeida. The old town expanded on three hills and into the valley around Al-Ibrahimi Mosque/The Tomb of Patriarchs monumental complex, which is an outstanding and multi-layered example of architecture illustrating significant stages in human history and is one of the main elements that shaped the Hebron/Al-Khalil Old Town. The monumental enclosure, or Temenos, surrounding the sacred Cave of Machpelah (al-Ghar al-Sharif) was constructed in the 1st century AD as an architectural complex marking the burial site traditionally believed to contain the tombs of Prophet Ibrahim (Patriarch Abraham) and the patriarchs and matriarchs of his lineage, which became a site venerated by the three monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Traditions, religious and spiritual beliefs have been the foundation of the town’s cultural character for many centuries. Thanks to its location along one of the main commercial routes in the region, the town became a meeting place for different faiths and cultures, with socio-economic and cultural exchange occurring throughout the centuries. The Outstanding Universal Value of Hebron/Al-Khalil Old Town is demonstrated by its existence as an exceptionally complete and well-preserved example of exceptional urban and vernacular architectural elements which reflect…