Photos: Palestinian female travel bloggers promote local tourism

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The West Bank is scattered with sites holy to Christians, Muslims and Jews, and its mountainous landscape offers breathtaking views from the hills of Hebron and Nablus down to the hypersaline Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth. Image Credit: Instagram/ahlanpalestine

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Hoping to allay the fears of Palestinians who avoid visiting remote sites, Malak Hasan (left) and Bisan Alhajhasan founded "Ahlan Palestine" - meaning "Hello Palestine" - a blog and Instagram page offering travel destinations and advice. Image Credit: Instagram/ahlanpalestine

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Malak and Bisan take a selfie at the remains of an archeological site in the village of Aboud near Ramallah, West Bank. "The idea of two young female Palestinians who visit places that people feel are too far, or that might be closed, we go there to show them that we should not abandon those places," said Bisan, 32. Image Credit: REUTERS

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A pool built in Bilin village, west to Ramallah surrounded by pine trees and dense forests. The bloggers' Instagram page features dozens of sites including several hillside springs popular with Palestinians and Israelis alike. Image Credit: Instagram/ahlanpalestine

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Malak and Bisan arrive at the Convent of the Hortus Conclusus in Artas village near Bethlehem, West Bank. Image Credit: REUTERS

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They have gained more than 5,600 followers since launching the app in May. They say it aims in part to show Palestinians new local destinations while international travel is restricted. | Above: A veiw of Sebastiya, a town 12 kilometers away from Nablus city, which once stood as the capital of the Romans in Palestine. Image Credit: Instagram/ahlanpalestine

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"Who has heard before about the village of Artas? This week was special as we visited this beautiful, rich and fascinating village in the Bethlehem area," they wrote the Instagram page while sharing this image. Image Credit: Instagram/ahlanpalestine

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Malak Hasan and Bisan Alhajhasan swim in a pool in the village of Aboud near Ramallah, in West Bank. Image Credit: REUTERS

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"For over a 100 years, the village of Artas to the south of Bethlehem has been a home to the Convent of Enclosed Garden, with its unique architecture and old arcs. The village is believed to be the second oldest inhabited location after Jericho. This place is magical and you can enjoy its beauty when going to Artas anytime between 7am and 5pm. We highly recommend it!," they captioned to this image. Image Credit: Instagram/ahlanpalestine

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Malak and Bisan sit at the remains of an archeological site in the village of Aboud. "We hear from shop owners that lots of people are visiting them after hearing about us," said Hasan, 31. "We feel like we filled a gap." Image Credit: REUTERS

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