There is no clear division of the old city into different neighborhoods according to their names, but it would be easy to identify the public market area from the residential part of the old city.

The markets and the squares which are connected with it are in the public domain of the old city. At the edge of the city, several commercial centers “khānāt” were built to be specialized for the hospitality of visitors, by hosting commercial transactions, and for the purpose of buying and selling.

The residential part of the old city is composed of quarters, “hārāt”. Al-Hārāt (the quarters) with its singular, al- hārāh (a quarter) is a term that refers to an urban entity which includes a number of different buildings and units. It includes, mostly, residential buildings. The limits of such an entity are confirmed by local residents' agreement in naming and ascribing different buildings to one hārāh or to another. This underlines the importance of privacy in the oriental identity of the old cities.

Social, economic, religious and cultural systems contribute to forming this mixing and merging of different buildings into a single spatial unit with known limits and names. The term “Mahallah”, or district, is used to refer to the same urban entity. The term “hayy” or quarter is used for the same purpose, but it is a newer one.

The two streets, an-Nasr and al-Khān, divide the old city into three parts. The cross-roads and passage junctions form the boundaries of each quarter.

Nablus, throughout its extended Islamic history, has consisted of six quarters. They are the quarters of al-Gharb, al-Habalah, al- Qisariyyah, al-Qaryūn, al-'Aqabah, and al-Yāsmīnah. There are examples of a number of quarters that were given special names, but they are still technically parts of the mother quarters. For example, as-Sumara quarter is actually a part of al-Yāsmīnah quarter. Al-Jozah, and ad-Dulāb quarters are parts of al-Qisariyyah one.

The name of the quarter is derived from the presence of an important landmark; such as the name of the ad-Dulāb quarter, which is related to a wooden waterwheel, a tool being used to lift water from an opening connected to the Roman cistern that passes through the lower parts of the area. It could also be that a name was chosen because of the geographical area where the quarter is located; such as, al-Gharb (the west) quarter, which is located at the western end of the old city.

There is also evidence that the architectural form is influenced by the social structure: Each of them might be inhabited by a specific family or sect. One very pertinent example is that of the as-Sumara quarter, where the Samaritans lived, and it was subsequently named after them.

Within the quarters, a number of ahwāsh, (single hāwsh), can be found. Each of them is different in its area and the number of buildings that it contains. These ahwāsh include within them semi-public areas. These spaces are actually open squares within the residential areas, and they are separated from the main market by means of gates, used to be closed in the evenings.

Residential buildings are linked by a system of al-ahwāsh (yards) where each hāwsh (yard) forms a special residential area. It is considered as a part of the hārāh. The ahwāsh represent a large portion of the total area of the old city. Residential buildings in the ahwāsh have a single entrance that is connected with the main street by a relatively short passage although there are a few buildings in the ahwāsh that have a direct entrance onto the main street. These exceptions are distributed throughout the old city.

The hāwsh is a group of more than two residential houses which share a single entrance that leads to a shared open square. Most of the ahwāsh have no other means for access except the entrance itself.

The hāwsh open yard is usually in the middle of this framework such as in Hāwsh an-Nasr, but is sometimes at the end of a typical passage; as in the case of Hāwsh al-'At'ūt. This is an urban form for the sake of giving a strong characteristic framework to these parts of the old city.

It was possible to discern ninety-seven ahwāsh in the old city. As these Ahwāsh are residential areas, visiting them may have social restrictions in many cases.

Visitors are advised to visit hāwsh al-'At'ūt in the al-Yāsmīnah quarter. This place witnessed a lot of important events that were printed in the resistance history memory of the city. It is where ex-president Arafat used to hide from the Israeli army, just after Nablus was occupied in 1968.