Kiryat Luza قرية لوزة • קרית לוזה |
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Village | |
Location of Kiryat Luza | |
Coordinates: 32°12′12″N 35°16′12″E / 32.203399°N 35.270081°ECoordinates: 32°12′12″N 35°16′12″E / 32.203399°N 35.270081°E | |
Governorate | Nablus |
Kiryat Luza (Hebrew: קרית לוזה, Arabic: قرية لوزة) is a Samaritan village on Mount Gerizim near Nablus, West Bank under joint Israeli and Palestinian control. It is the last wholly Samaritan village, half of their population living there. The village houses the museum of the Samaritans. Kiryat Luza is adjacent to the Israeli settlement of Har Bracha. Until the 1980s, most of the Samaritans resided in Nablus below Mount Gerizim. The Samaritans relocated to Kiryat Luza as a result of violence during the First Intifada. Consequently, all that remains of the Samaritan community in Nablus itself is an abandoned synagogue. The Israel Defense Forces maintains a presence in the area.