Ramallah is the de facto administrative capital of the Palestinian Authority, perched on a ridge in the central West Bank about fifteen kilometres north of Jerusalem. It has grown from a small Christian town into a busy, cosmopolitan city — by West Bank standards — with universities, NGO offices, and the most active nightlife scene in the Palestinian territories.
The city centre around Al-Manara Square is noisy and congested, but the streets radiating from it are lined with cafes, restaurants, and bars that fill up on weekend evenings. Ramallah has a young, educated population and a cultural life that includes the Al-Kasaba Theatre and Cinematheque, the Khalil Sakakini Cultural Center, and the Mahmoud Darwish Museum dedicated to the Palestinian national poet.
Yasser Arafat's tomb and the accompanying museum, the Muqata'a compound, are the main visitor attraction. The city is accessible from Jerusalem via Qalandia checkpoint, though crossing times are unpredictable.