Battir
The village of Battir is located south of the city of Jerusalem, 6.5 km northwest of the city of Bethlehem, and is about 760 meters above sea level. The historic Jaffa-Jerusalem railway, which was built by the Ottomans in 1905, passes through its lands. Historically, Battir was affiliated with the district of the city of Jerusalem, but it was annexed to Bethlehem Governorate recently in the 1990s. It is one of the beautiful, peaceful and green Palestinian villages, and is characterized by the presence of water springs, agricultural lands and fields. Battir is famous for its eggplant, as the locals call a specific type of eggplant “Battir Eggplant.” It is also distinguished by the kindness of its people.
In 2014, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee recognized the enduring importance of this site, and included the “Cultural Landscape of South Jerusalem, Battir” on the World Heritage List as a pilot site for the State of Palestine. As a major feature of the larger Palestinian Central Highlands, this magnificent region extends from Nablus in the north to Hebron in the south, and displays thousands of years of traditions in land use and water management that have shaped the character of the Holy Land.