Arafat's Tomb
Arafat's Tomb
4.5
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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4.5
170 reviews
Excellent
88
Very good
58
Average
20
Poor
3
Terrible
1
Wehda E
27 contributions
Jan 2020 • Solo
This is a relatively new museum - it also shares the ground with the mausoleum of the late Palestinian president Yasser Arafat, a mosque and “al muqatara” which is the building for the current Palestinian Administration.
Clean, well organized - and very informative. Shares information about the history of Palestinian until this date, various news articles, movie clips etc., belongings of the late Palestinian president as well as a tour to the HQ of where Yasser Arafat and his team were sieged during his final months.
Clean, well organized - and very informative. Shares information about the history of Palestinian until this date, various news articles, movie clips etc., belongings of the late Palestinian president as well as a tour to the HQ of where Yasser Arafat and his team were sieged during his final months.
Written March 5, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Emma V
The Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield, UK221 contributions
The tomb is elegant and peaceful.
The memorial script is beautiful and everything is immaculate.
The mosque is modern and sleek in design with beautiful ornate script carved into the wall.
And there is a very nice garden.
A really peaceful and dignified place.
The memorial script is beautiful and everything is immaculate.
The mosque is modern and sleek in design with beautiful ornate script carved into the wall.
And there is a very nice garden.
A really peaceful and dignified place.
Written June 9, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
UlstermaninNorfolk
Bracknell, UK276 contributions
Apr 2018 • Solo
I went there one evening. The soldier on guard was friendly. I had the place to myself and could go right up to the tomb. It is clear that the Palestinian people wanted to create a memorial for thei former leader. They have done it well.
Written April 11, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Wasef Abdulhadi
Amman, Jordan170 contributions
Jun 2016 • Solo
Just standing up there you will feel a history of people who their lands has been stolen by force.
This tomb is nice to be around if you're passing by or if you are interested to know the story of those Palestinians
This tomb is nice to be around if you're passing by or if you are interested to know the story of those Palestinians
Written May 29, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Habibest
Brasilia, DF31 contributions
Oct 2015 • Friends
This place tells a lot about one of the most controversial Palestinian leaders, whose death is still subject to a plethora of conspiracy theories and whose life was full of ups and downs.
Ramallah itself is a great place to visit. It is a busy city, where you can find a mix of UN workers, diplomats, religious people, beggars, celebrities, volunteers and the ordinary joe on a regular day when you go food shopping in the street market. A great place to appreciate the Palestinian hospitality, try the best knefah ever, the awesome hareesa, delicious maqloubeh, heavenly hommus and indescribable grapes leaves. Not to miss.
Ramallah itself is a great place to visit. It is a busy city, where you can find a mix of UN workers, diplomats, religious people, beggars, celebrities, volunteers and the ordinary joe on a regular day when you go food shopping in the street market. A great place to appreciate the Palestinian hospitality, try the best knefah ever, the awesome hareesa, delicious maqloubeh, heavenly hommus and indescribable grapes leaves. Not to miss.
Written September 9, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Shaltoni
Doha, Qatar775 contributions
Oct 2015 • Solo
Like him or dislike him, he is a symbol for Palestinians freedom movement.
The visit takes minutes but its a chance to pay tributes.
The visit takes minutes but its a chance to pay tributes.
Written October 19, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Vic P
1 contribution
Jun 2015 • Couples
This is a mus visit when coming to Ramallah - for its historical and cultural value, and also because it is very interesting to see! I visited the site with an Arabic speaker, and the guards told us lots of interesting facts about the site, which definitely made it much more enjoyable. I agree with the other reviewers here that without this additional information the site can feel a bit meaningless. I have written up what I heard from the guards below:
First of all, the number of metres leading up to the tomb count 75 - one for each year of Arafat's life. The structure in which his tomb lies is a cube of 11m x 11m, representing the date on which he died, 11th November 2004.
It is so eery to look at the tomb, especially when considering that Swiss investigators opened it in 2012 to undertake further tests to determine the reason for his death (apparently he was poisoned). There is also a poignant reminder of Israel's illegal settlements, which you can see through one of the (slightly dirty) windows.
The 11m x 11m tomb is surrounded by a slightly tacky wading pool, with bright blue tiles similar to those used in a swimming pool. The reason for this is to signify that the tomb is moving forwards, towards Jerusalem, which is where Arafat hoped to be buried at some point. As such, the current complex is seen as only temporary.
In fact the entire complex faces Jerusalem, and at night a laser shines a blue light from the minaret towards Jerusalem.
Some other things that we would have definitely overlooked without the guide are the three flags outside the mausoleum. They signify the number of funerals that Arafat has had so far - in France, Egypt and Palestine.
Some arrangements of trees and shrubs on the complex also signify important dates. Here the date is the 5th March 2002, the day that Arafat's compound was put under siege during the second intifada.
For me, however, the most striking part were the pillars surrounding the mosque. We were told that each of these pillars represented a Palestinian village between the Arafat's tomb and Jerusalem.
First of all, the number of metres leading up to the tomb count 75 - one for each year of Arafat's life. The structure in which his tomb lies is a cube of 11m x 11m, representing the date on which he died, 11th November 2004.
It is so eery to look at the tomb, especially when considering that Swiss investigators opened it in 2012 to undertake further tests to determine the reason for his death (apparently he was poisoned). There is also a poignant reminder of Israel's illegal settlements, which you can see through one of the (slightly dirty) windows.
The 11m x 11m tomb is surrounded by a slightly tacky wading pool, with bright blue tiles similar to those used in a swimming pool. The reason for this is to signify that the tomb is moving forwards, towards Jerusalem, which is where Arafat hoped to be buried at some point. As such, the current complex is seen as only temporary.
In fact the entire complex faces Jerusalem, and at night a laser shines a blue light from the minaret towards Jerusalem.
Some other things that we would have definitely overlooked without the guide are the three flags outside the mausoleum. They signify the number of funerals that Arafat has had so far - in France, Egypt and Palestine.
Some arrangements of trees and shrubs on the complex also signify important dates. Here the date is the 5th March 2002, the day that Arafat's compound was put under siege during the second intifada.
For me, however, the most striking part were the pillars surrounding the mosque. We were told that each of these pillars represented a Palestinian village between the Arafat's tomb and Jerusalem.
Written June 30, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alyssa B
Manhattan Beach, CA13 contributions
Mar 2015 • Friends
Arafat's tomb is a beautiful calm sight in the middle of Ramallah's busy streets. It is visually very stunning. There is a lot of symbolism in the construction and lay out. It isn't written anywhere, so you have to find someone who knows these details. I have been twice and the second time we couldn't find anyone to refresh our memories on the symbols. It wasn't really that interesting without a guide.
Written April 14, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
cavanau3
Kingston, Canada180 contributions
Apr 2015 • Solo
Arafat's tomb is an important place to visit because Arafat is a monumental figure in Palestinian history. There is not much to see except the tomb itself and to walk around the compound.
Written April 12, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
PandPCotswoldsUK
Charlbury, UK333 contributions
Oct 2014 • Friends
It is worth a visit. It is solemn place and makes you feel sorry for the Palestinians. The thing that shook me most was the 500 short pillars around which represented 500 villages destroyed by the Israelis since 1948. Perhaps the names need to be on the top.
We were told that it is not Arafat's tomb. He is placed here temporarily pending burial in Jerusalem when there is peace.
We were told that it is not Arafat's tomb. He is placed here temporarily pending burial in Jerusalem when there is peace.
Written October 20, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Written January 16, 2019
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