Liwan is a social enterprise and a independent, private initiative designed to preserve our Palestinian cultural identity and share it with visitors who come to Nazareth.

Liwan offers coffee, culture and local products, tours and talks. We have regular events, such as music concerts, cinema, art exhibitions,workshops (facebook.com/liwannazareth/).

Liwan is an authentic place in the heart of the old city of Nazareth.Every piece of furniture, every bite of food in this spot has a story.

Sebat al-Sheikh . 6132 street . Nazareth old city . 04 628 35 11

liwan.nazareth@gmail.com . www.facebook.com/liwannazareth

1. To restore to the Old City the central place it should have in the social and public life of Nazareth. We want to strengthen a sense of community and social solidarity in the Old City, and challenge the preconceptions of those who think it is a place to avoid.

2. To revive the Old City’s economy, and to encourage creativity and fresh thinking. Tourism can generate new business and social opportunities for the local population that will benefit both them and their city.

3. To provide tourists with a reference point where they can learn about Nazareth, its culture and history, about its residents and the situation of the Palestinian minority, and about the Palestinians as a people. These stories have been intentionally concealed from almost all tourists who visit the region, part of a much wider silencing of Palestinians in this troubled region. We want to give Palestinians back their voice.

4. To challenge the largely parasitic nature of tourism in Nazareth that encourages tourists to see the city as only a site to be ticked off on their pilgrimage list. It is important to create a proper and respectful relationship between tourists and locals, in which both sides meet as equals.
That can only happen if tourists spend time in the city experiencing Nazareth in all its richness and variety.

5. To serve as a model. The success of this project is important to us because we want others to follow in our wake. We intend to set an example that will inspire other Palestinians, in Nazareth and elsewhere, to try to transform their own communities in this way.