Paper Title
Luminosity of Palestine: Land, People & Architecture

Abstract
Palestine is like a solar system and its light is crucial for life and existence. Palestine is a country that is open to sea and desert. It was inhabited by the oldest of civilizations from the beginning of time. The purpose of the paper is to introduce Palestine and its cities as well as explore its rich culture that is part of Bilad Al Sham or the Levant (Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine). To start with, Palestine has a unique cultural treasure. From a religious perspective, it is a holly place as it is connected with Mecca in the Isra & Mi'raj (The Night Journey). It was the first Qibla & has the third holiest mosque for Muslims. Historically speaking, the treasure of Palestine is represented by its archeological sites of the great civilizations that existed on this land. In Palestine one can find reins of a monument under a shepherd's feet, or remnants of a temple discovered by chance by a peasant. The sun that covers these treasures under the ground gives its heat for land to grow wheat; barley, grapes, and olive that Palestinian peasants wait for every year. The style of the Palestinian cities can be viewed in the old city of Hebron as a model, where high minarets spreading the sound of Azan can be found. There is the Abraham Mosque in Hebron that has grave tombs of several prophets and patriarchs (Ibrahim and his wives as well as his sons). In the old city of Hebron, one finds streets & alleys connected in a congruous pattern where light & shadow play in harmony.