Kiryat Luza

32°12′12″N35°16′12″E / 32.203399°N 35.270081°E / 32.203399; 35.270081

Kiryat Luza قرية لوزة קרית לוזה‎
Village
Country	Palestine
Region	West Bank
Governorate	Nablus
Population
• Total	380
Time zone	UTC+2:00 (Palestine Standard Time)

Kiryat Luza (Arabic : قرية لوزة, Hebrew : קרית לוזה) is a village situated on Mount Gerizim near the city of Nablus in the West Bank. It is within Area B of the West Bank, and as a result is under the joint control of Israel and the Palestinian National Authority, ^[1] and is the only remaining site populated wholly by Samaritans. Kiryat Luza is home to roughly half of the world's total Samaritan population, with the other half located in the Israeli city of Holon. ^[2]

Geography

The village is adjacent to the Jewish Israeli settlement of Har Brakha. ^[3] The village location on the mountain overlooks Al-Najah National University, the city of Nablus, and the Balata refugee camp. ^[4]

History

Until the 1980s, most Samaritans in the West Bank resided in Nablus proper, below Mount Gerizim, and began to relocate to Kiryat Luza due to a spike in violence throughout Israel and the Palestinian Territories during the First Intifada; the Israeli military maintains an active presence in the area (see Israeli occupation of the West Bank). ^[3]

Culture

The village Samaritan Museum is a museum in Kiryat Luza, it was opened in 1996 in the village, with small funding from the Palestinian Authority, it contains descriptions of the life of Samaritans, ^{[5] [6]} as well as historical documents and artifacts. ^[7] As well as a synagogue, ^[8] and a tahini factory. ^{[9] [6]}

The village also contains a school that teaches the Samaritan religion, it was established in 1990, closed in 1998 due to low attendance, and then reopened in 2002. ^{[10] [11]}

The Mount Gerizim International Peace Center is also located within the village, it offers the "Samaritan Medal for Peace and Humanitarian achievements", since 2005, it is given to "the most prominent activists of peace and humanity". ^{[12] [13]}

Gallery

• 
  The Mount Gerizim International Peace Center and the visitor center
• 
  The Samaritan Museum, notice the four language sign

References

1. Barbati, Gabrielle (21 January 2013). "Israeli Election Preview: The Samaritans, Caught Between Two Votes". International Business Times. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
2. Louis J. Salome, Violence, veils, and bloodlines: reporting from war zones, McFarland, 2010 p.76.
3. "CNN.com - Amid conflict, Samaritans keep unique identity - Oct. 8, 2002". CNN. Archived from the original on 29 June 2006. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
4. "Samaritans Number Less Than 1,000. Here's How Their Tradition Survives In Israel". Religion Unplugged . 26 October 2021. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
5. ""المتحف السامري" في نابلس .. نافذة حضارية لشعوب العالم" [The Samaritan Museum in Nablus: A cultural window to the peoples of the world]. Al-Quds (in Arabic). 8 July 2023. Archived from the original on 22 February 2025. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
6. "The Samaritans: the Unaltered Religion of the People of Israel". Raseef22 . 6 September 2019. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
7. "'Beni Israel': The Samaritans of Palestine's Mt. Gerizim". Anadolu Agency. 12 December 2015. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
8. "Pittsburgh gets glimpse of modern Israelite Samaritans". Times of Israel. 1 September 2025. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
9. "מבורכת: טחינה שומרונית" [Blessed: Samaritan Tahini]. ynet. 24 June 2014. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
10. "بالصور والفيديو.. مدرسة جرزيم في نابلس: سلام وطني وفاتحتان إسلامية وسامرية" [In pictures and video: Gerizim School in Nablus: National Anthem and Islamic and Samaritan Fatiha]. Madar News Agency (in Arabic). Retrieved 1 October 2025.
11. "طلبة أكاديمية روابي في زيارة تعليمية لمدرسة جرزيم والمتحف السامري" [Rawabi Academy students on an educational visit to Gerizim School and the Samaritan Museum]. Wattan News Agency (in Arabic). 19 November 2019. Retrieved 2 October 2025.
12. "In turbulent Israel-Palestine, Samaritans strive to do good". HuffPost. 21 March 2010. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
13. "الطائفة السامرية: فسيفساء دينية تزين نابلس" [The Samaritan community: A religious mosaic adorns Nablus]. DW (in Arabic). 28 July 2025. Retrieved 1 October 2025.