Banksy has helped Palestine and especially Bethlehem to gain more attention in the media. And provided them with a large income from tourism. Banksy's work is famous worldwide and the locals in Bethlehem speak of him as a saint and a hero for their community. Below you'll find 10 Banksy Artworks to Visit in Bethlehem. All provided with exact location (if known) and a map with all the works marked. Enjoy!
The Walled Off Hotel
Before we kick this list of Banksy artworks off, I have to tell you about
The Walled Off Hotel. The hotel was started by Banksy himself in collaboration with some locals. And it is... AMAZING! And without even blinking I can truly state, that it is the most unique and cool hotel I have ever stayed in. Some of the Banksy artworks in this list is located inside
The Walled Off Hotel, they arrange tours, there's a restaurant, a museum and a gift shop. I won't spoil too much. Just let you know, that you should be booking a room in advance as the hotel seems to be sold out almost permanently. You can support by blog by booking through this link:
The Walled Off Hotel (I would appreciate that very much!).
#10 Donkey Documents (SOLD)
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| Replica of Banksy's "Donkey Documents" in Bethlehem, Palstine |
The original
"Donkey Documents" was painted by Banksy in 2007 and later removed and auctioned off in Beverly Hills in 2015. The original artwork as been on display on several auctions, but around Bethlethem you can find many replicas of the famous artwork of a soldier asking a donkey for its papers.
#9 Angel Sprinkling Hearts
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| "Angel Sprinkling Hearts" by Banksy in Bethlehem, Palestine |
There aren't much information on the
"Angel Sprinkling Hearts" by Banksy. The art work is located on the same road as Ararat Hotel, a bit further west on the opposite side of the road the artwork is stuck on the side of a short wall right above the house number "421". Biggest mystery is as to why Banksy didn't choose house number "420".
#8 Unnamed / Hole-in-the-Heart
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| "Hole in the Heart" by Banksy at the Walled Off Hotel in Bethlehem, Palestine |
One of the newer Banksy artworks hangs in the lounge of
The Walled Off Hotel. Officially the piece hasn't been named by the artist, but I'd like to suggest
"Hole in the Heart". The entire piece is made from a piece of the West Bank Barrier, which is located just outside the windows of
The Walled Off Hotel.
#7 Girl Frisking Soldier
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| "Girl Frisking Soldier" by Banksy in Bethlehem, Palestine |
"Girl Frisking Soldier" by Banksy is also one of the older works in Bethlehem. The piece was on a free-standing wall for awhile, but is now protected by a set up shelter to keep the piece from fading and being tempered with.
"Girl Frisking Soldier" is located on Hebron Rd. right next to a Banksy Shop, which is also the entrance to see the piece.
#6 Scar of Bethlehem
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| "Scar of Bethlehem" in the lobby of The Walled Off Hotel in Bethlehem, Palestine |
In the past couple of years it has become custom that Banksy sends his hotel
The Walled Off Hotel a piece of art to be placed in the lobby as sort of a Christmas gift. For this Christmas, Banksy sent a piece he named
"Scar of Bethlehem" (a word-play on "Star of Bethlehem") portraying the nativity scene in a rather darker tone with a bullet hole in the wall resembling the star. The location of this piece is in the lobby of
The Walled Off Hotel just on your left hand side as you enter.
#5 Make Hummus Not Walls (replica)
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| "Make Hummus Not Walls" by Banksy (replica) in Bethlehem, Palestine |
"Make Hummus Not Walls" is obviously a reference to the 1960's
"Make Love Not War"-slogan. The original Banksy version of this is not exactly located as there are not certainties as to which one it is. There are several of these near
The Walled Off Hotel, but most likely, they're replicas.
#4 Girl With the Balloons (replica)
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| "Girl with the Balloons" by Banksy (replica) at Aida Refugee Camp in Bethlehem, Palestine |
The general belief about the original
"Girl with the Balloons" is that the piece was lost and destroyed. Rumors keep resurfacing, but nothing ever seems to stick. I joined a visit to the Aida Refugee Camp arranged by
The Walled Off Hotel and the local guide showed us a replica of the Banksy artwork in the
Ida st. area. There are also many of these to be spotted alongside the West Bank Barrier.
#3 The Alternativity
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| "The Alternativity" by Banksy in Bethlehem, Palestine |
The Alternativity is the latest Banksy addition to the West Bank Barrier in Bethlehem.
The Alternativity is obviously a word-play on
Alternative and
Nativity referring to the alternative of breaking down the wall and the birth of Christ referring to a new beginning. The piece is very cleverly placed in a crack of the wall. I can already feel this piece is growing on me and is slowly becoming one of my favorite Banksy pieces of all-time.
The Alternativity is actually part of a two-piece work. The other is located on a wooden door opposite the Milk Grotto Church, which has the words
"Peace in the World *terms and conditions apply" written on it.
The location of
The Alternative is marked in the map at the end of this article, but the easiest way to find it is to walk out the front door of
The Walled Off Hotel, turn left and walk along side the wall on your right for about 50 meters. Tip: Look up.
#2 Armored Dove
One of my absolute favorite works by Banksy and one of the most iconic pieces in Bethlehem is
The Armored Dove. Unlike many of Banksy artworks in Bethlehem,
The Armored Dove is not placed on the actual wall, but rather on the side of
The Palestinian Heritage Center.
#1 Flower Thrower
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| Me in front of Banksy's "Flower Thrower" in Bethlehem, Palestine |
Flower Thrower is probably amongst the top three most recognizable Banksy work ever. Flower Thrower is also one of the first Banksy pieces to pop-up in Bethlehem. Flower Thrower is another piece, which isn't painted on the wall. Instead Banksy chose the side of a car wash at a local gas station. The piece is slowly coming off and will eventually be gone and lost. The location of Flower Thrower is marked on the map just below here. The gas station is on Ash Salon St. and the piece is not that easily spotted as it's on the side of the car wash.
By clicking the following link:
Banksy Bethlehem Locations - Google Maps you'll be redirected to a list of locations I pinpointed on Google Maps of Banksy artworks throughout Bethlehem. Happy travels and remember to support the locals in Bethleham by joining tours and buying souvenirs.
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