Al-Manara Square is the central hub of Ramallah, a busy traffic circle around which the city's commercial and social life revolves. The square takes its name from a lighthouse-like structure at its centre (manara means lighthouse in Arabic), though the current column and lion sculptures are a modern replacement. On almost any given day and evening, the square is crowded with pedestrians, taxis, and vendors.
The streets radiating out from the square contain the bulk of Ramallah's cafes, restaurants, shops, and bars. This is where to start any exploration of the city on foot: take one of the streets heading downhill toward the older parts of town for a different atmosphere from the modern commercial streets above. Weekend evenings in particular bring out a social scene — families, young people, street food — that gives the most vivid impression of contemporary Ramallah.