Place Name
Palestine (فِلَسْطِين)Place Description
Palestine describes the geographic region between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. The Museum of the Palestinian People's mission is to preserve, document, and share about the Palestinian villages, towns, cities, and tribal lands prior to colonization. The place names used throughout the museum's catalogue privilege Palestinian names as they were used prior to 1869, as these names capture the memories and sentiments of Palestinian elders in exile and the transmission of this knowledge to the following generations. The preservation of this knowledge is a vital aspect of preserving Palestinian identity and the people -- the Museum stands firmly in its commitment to preserving and privileging these place names over all else as a form of cultural heritage.
The region encompasses a varied landscape of coastal plains, fertile valleys, central and northern highlands, the Jordan Valley, and Al Naqab, with settlement and agriculture shaped by differences in terrain, rainfall, soils, and access to water. Palestine has been governed and colonized under successive political systems, including Ottoman rule, the British Mandate established after the First World War, and the political and territorial transformations that followed the 1948 al-Nakba and the 1967 June War. The 1948 war resulted in the displacement of more than 750,000 Palestinians from the territory that became Israel, while the 1967 war brought the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip under illegal Israeli military occupation.
Since October 7, 2023, Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have experienced a devastating campaign of Israeli military violence, mass displacement, destruction of homes and civilian infrastructure, and inhumane restrictions on access to food, water, healthcare, and other necessities of life. In June 2026, the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry concluded that Israeli authorities and security forces had committed acts of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. The destruction and displacement have continued to shape Palestinian life, memory, cultural heritage, and the preservation of Palestinian identity. The International Court of Justice is separately considering South Africa's case against Israel under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, with proceedings continuing as of 2026.Also Known As
فِلَسْطِين, Greater Syria, Bilad al-ShamPlace Type
Historical RegionMap Coordinates
Latitude
31.9167Longitude
35.3333General Notes
Note Type
Cataloging NoteNote
BWB_ID:8Updated By
Wafa Ghnaim