The Abraham Path is a walking trail that retraces the journey made by Abraham (Ibrahim) through the heart of the Middle East some 4,000 years ago, and its organizers hope it will be an intercultural meeting place, an economic catalyst, and a magnet for positive media focus on the region’s heritage and hospitality.

The trail begins in the Turkish city of Sanliurfa, where many believe Abraham was born, and in the nearby ruins of Harran, where Abraham heard the call of God to 'go forth.' Initially covering 1,200 kilometers, the Abraham Path will pass through some of the Middle East’s finest landscapes, historic sites, and holy places before ending at Abraham's tomb just south of Jerusalem in the city of Hebron/Al-Khalil. Eventually the route will include Abraham’s travels to and from Egypt, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. It is estimated it would take about 10 weeks to walk the entire trail.

Similar trails which involve nature, faith, history, and adventure already attract hundreds of thousands of people each year to Peru, France, Turkey, Italy, and to Spain, where the revival of the medieval pilgrimage route known as Camino de Santiago has revitalized an entire region as facilities evolved to serve the travelers. The Abraham Path, it is hoped, will make the Middle East a leading eco- and cultural tourism destination, and benefit rural communities that have not traditionally seen tourists.

Organizers hope to declare the path open for a steady flow of travelers by the end of 2009, five years after study and consultation in the Middle East and the west began. In November 2006, 25 scholars and leaders from 10 countries travelled the route by bus, meeting along the way with government leaders, religious leaders from all three faiths, and business and non-governmental organization leaders.

Authorities in Turkey, Jordan, Israel, and Palestine have indicated support, and the Syrian Ministry of Tourism is creating the Syrian Cultural Walking Trail. Host organizations are forming along the route, a guidebook is being prepared, the first walking segments have been opened, and youth walks and guided tours have begun. During 2007, segments were opened for pilot travel, a launch event held in Turkey, and national and local teams created in each country. In 2008, student exchanges and international youth walks were held in order to learn what would work best.

The Abraham Path Initiative is an international non-profit, non-political and non-sectarian NGO, founded in 2007. It grew out of Harvard University’s Global Negotiation Initiative, led by Dr. William Ury, a co-founder of the Harvard Law School’s Program on Negotiation and co-author of the bestselling guide to negotiation, Getting to Yes.

This story was prepared from materials on the Abraham Path Initiative website. Materials are available in English, Turkish, Arabic, Hebrew, French, and Portuguese. The photograph comes from the most recent Abraham Path Initiative quarterly newsletter.

Also see: Abraham Path takes stakeholders to undiscovered realms, by Taylor Luck, May 3, 2009, The Jordan Times; and Tracing Abraham’s path to Mideast peace, Ilene R. Prusher, Feb. 13, 2007, Christian Science Monitor.