Aboud is an ancient, picturesque village, distant 22 km from Ramallah and 30 km from Jerusalem, with 2.500 inhabitants: half Islamic and half Christian (Orthodox and Catholic in equal percentage).
Aboud is composed of a historic center, on top of the hill, ordered, clean, with a valuable unity of Ottoman-Palestinian style maintained until now.
Main attractions:
MONASTERY OF ST BARBARA
On a hill to the west of Aboud, one kilometer from the main road, lies the Orthodox Monastery of St Barbara, dating back to the 6th-8th century and in the following centuries restored and modified many times.
Inside the church, there is the cave where, according to one of the local legends, St Barbara lived after her escape from her father who wanted to lock her in as a punishment for her Christian faith. The tradition tells also that Jesus appeared to the Saint in the cave.
To celebrate this event on 17th of December, the believers make a procession from St Mary’s Church to St Barbara Monastery, light candles on her honor and serve a sweet pudding called “Bourbara” (whole grain wheat with sugar, cinnamon and other spices, dried fruits).
THE JEWEL: ORTHODOX CHURCH OF ST MARY
St Mary Church (named also al-Abudiyah), is downtown.
On the site, once there was a church that according to the tradition was built on the order of St Helena, mother of the emperor Constantine the 1st.
According to the popular tradition, Jesus Christ passed through Aboud walking on the road to Nazareth.
Meet the Orthodox priest Emmanuel Awwad. He will tell you about the community evolution mainly in the last decades, lets you know how you can interpret the pictures and the used colors, and explain the rites and the traditions of the Orthodox Christian Church in Palestine.
Address: Downtown.
CATHOLIC CHURCH: OUR LADY OF SEVEN SORROWS
The church of Our Lady of Seven Sorrows is very recent, built in 1910 to give again a wider place for prayers to Catholic community, but later in 1950 was re-built, over a very antique structure visible through a glass floor.
Address: Downtown.
BARBARA WOMEN SOCIETY
The Barbara Women Society was set up in 1998. 14 women of Aboud joined the new association to contribute to the community's effort to support women.
Now, with the coordinator Basima Azer, they are 30. In the near future they will transfer into a traditional house.
Nowadays the Society proposes to guests: Training of dishes of the local gastronomy, like ikbab (an Easter dish made with lamb offal) or mutabbaq. Training about the production of jams, za'atar, olive oil, herbs, soap by olive oil, mlookhia (herb from jute). Embroidery and crafts of cloth and wickers.
Address: Downtown.
LEMON VALLEY
The Lemon Valley runs for 3 km east of the village. Its name is due to the lemons, oranges and other fruitful trees cultivated in the past and irrigated by nine water springs.
A well-marked path goes along the valley and allows an easy and agreeable walk, in winter at a side of a stream, dry in summer. Olive trees, animals (donkeys, horses, sheep, goats), flowers, birds are met during the walk.
AN ELEGANT GUESTHOUSE
The municipality and Rozana are restoring an old traditional house with a garden, to use as guesthouse/hostel for visitors and tourists. There will be 2 large bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a kitchen. The guest house could host as far as 20 beds and will also serve as an Information Centre and exposition for local products, handicrafts, wines, food specialties, fashion accessories.
Address Downtown.
AL-MAQATA
Al-Maqata, is a wide natural cave enlarged by Romans with regular cuts in the stone, to use as a burial place.
Address: Along the unsurfaced road of the caves which runs northwest of Aboud.
