The Abraham Path Initiative aims to support the opening of a long-distance route of cultural and historical tourism that follows the journey of Abraham (Ibrahim) through the Middle East some 4,000 years ago. Three and a half billion people – half of humanity - trace their history to Abraham and his family. The Abraham Path honors this shared heritage by connecting sites through the region important to the history of Abraham and his children.

While the Path is named for Abraham, the Abraham Path Initiative is not a religious project. The Initiative opens a route of sustainable tourism as a catalyst for regional economic prosperity. It also serves as a neutral platform for human encounter and cross-cultural understanding, community-based development, youth leadership, preservation of historic sites and natural environment, and positive media coverage highlighting the hospitable people of the region.

While the exact footsteps of Abraham and his family are not known, the various traditions and cultures help us to delineate travel routes, as well as a specific walking trail, that connect places significant in the history of the children of Abraham. Travelers will choose to visit some or all of the Path by foot, car, or bus, while some may choose to take side trips to other sites of interest. The Path will attract visitors from near and far, inviting them to explore the rich history and cultural wealth of this region and to experience the hospitality that is habitually extended to travelers in these lands.

The Abraham Path begins in the ancient ruins of Harran, where Abraham first heard the call to "go forth." It passes through some of the most revered cultural and historical sites in the world, culminating in the city of Hebron/Al-Khalil at the tomb of Abraham. Covering a total distance of 1,200 kilometers (700 miles), the Path will link some of the finest landscapes, historic sites, and holy places of the Middle East into a single itinerary of outstanding beauty and interest. The Path will eventually extend to encompass Abraham’s travels to and from Egypt, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia.

The Abraham Path Initiative is an international affiliation, structured as a non-governmental organization (NGO), existing solely to inspire the creation of this Path. Founded at the Global Negotiation Project of Harvard University, and sustained by a worldwide network of supporters, the Abraham Path Initiative is a not-for-profit, non-political, non-sectarian organization honoring all peoples, faiths and cultures.

Work is now underway to make the Abraham Path a reality. The mapping has begun and a guidebook for travelers is in process. The first study tour of the entire Path was conducted in November 2006, and the first walking segments of the Path open in 2008 with a global youth walk.

More information about the Abraham Path Initiative is available at: www.abrahampath.org