Why Tulkarm
Located on the western edge of the northern West Bank, Tulkarm serves as the administrative capital of the Tulkarm Governorate in Palestine. Situated roughly 15 kilometers west of Nablus and 15 kilometers east of the coastal city of Netanya, the city occupies a position between coastal plains and inland mountains. Its name translates in Arabic to "length of vineyard," a phrase derived from the earlier Aramaic name "Tur Karma," meaning "mount of the vineyard," which was used by medieval Samaritan residents and Crusaders.
Positioned at a historic crossroads, Tulkarm functioned for centuries as a regional trading market and caravan stop for surrounding agricultural villages. It stood along key routes connecting the Ajalon Valley northward to Mount Carmel, Nazareth, and the Galilee. Settlement expanded in the late 12th century during the Ayyubid era under Saladin, when military groups like the Zaydan clan settled in the area to safeguard western access routes. Subsequent waves of residents established farming, livestock production, and processing facilities for olives and grapes.
During the Ottoman period beginning in 1517, local agricultural taxes helped support religious educational trusts in Jerusalem. The early community formed around five primary neighborhoods centered on the Shaykh Ali al-Jazri al-Mughrabi Mosque, now known as the Old Mosque. Tulkarm's civic prominence grew when it was designated a subdistrict center in 1876 and designated as a municipality in 1892. This administrative shift prompted expansion northward into open lands, where civic infrastructure including a school, post office, hospital, and municipal offices were established.
In 1908, Tulkarm became a prominent railway junction along the Hejaz Railway network, connecting the region to destination routes toward Haifa, Jerusalem, Nablus, Egypt, Syria, and Transjordan. The area expanded further during the 20th century with new roadways, designated commercial corridors, and organized civil planning schemes. Over time, the city incorporated several nearby hamlets and villages, including Jarrad, Dhinnaba, Shuweika, and Irtah. Today, the city is administered by the Palestinian National Authority.
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