In the alleys of the old town of Salfit everyone feels astonished as flowers and roses of various shapes and sizes and fine aromatic smells could be seen and spotted at every corner making gardens of joyful beauty.
Self-efforts
The residents of the old town of Salfit race against time to decorate their alleys with personal efforts and self-motivation without any support from anyone as Najia Shaheen a resident of the old town says. Her old house is decorated with various types of roses and flowers bringing much delight and joy to her.
“We do not receive any support or encouragement. We even decorate the roses from our own pocket. We demand water to be served without charge at least by the municipality” says Najia. “Decorating the alleys makes them beautiful and sometimes visitors come to visit and show admiration.”
Bottles and containers
Nayaz Fatuni quickly brings red sand which is full of natural organic materials to be placed in bottles and plastic containers and then chooses the most beautiful types of roses to grow and water them at his own expense.
Zainab Omran plants roses and flowers with very beautiful smells which makes staying there and smelling them a pleasant habit as Mahmoud Al-Masri stresses: “It is necessary to support such efforts to make Salfit and its alleys a model of care and a natural beauty that lures tourists and visitors. It is better than neglecting the old town leaving it in bad shape and looking absolutely unpleasant.”
Zainab says that “Care for flowers and roses requires exerting daily efforts. They must be protected from damage or being picked up by children” adding that “It is necessary to water them a lot especially with the heat wave that is hitting the region these days.”
Support from the Ministry
Ibrahim Al-Hamad the Director of Salfit Agriculture Department praises the efforts and activities of the citizens of the western neighborhoods of Salfit and the rest of the old town’s areas who plant varieties of roses and flowers.
He said that the Directorate of Agriculture supports such efforts and that the beautiful view of flowers improves the overall appearance of the old town of Salfit.
The old town of Salfit witnessed the demolition of several buildings by the Israeli occupation forces during the Aqsa Intifada under the pretext of being used as workshops for manufacturing weapons.
Locals appealed to the Palestinian Authority officials to renovate some of the very old buildings and to support and strengthen their steadfastness; especially that these alleys buildings and stones are historical and date hundreds of years back in history.
