'Arura

Coordinates: 32°02′30″N 35°10′18″E / 32.04167°N 35.17167°E / 32.04167; 35.17167
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
'Arura
Governorate
Ramallah and al-Bireh
Government
 • TypeMunicipality
Population
 (2017)[1]
 • Total3,107
Name meaningp.n.[2]

‘Arura (

Palestinian town located in the Ramallah and al-Bireh Governorate in the northern West Bank, north of Ramallah. Most of the village is situated 500 meters above sea level.[3]

History

Pottery

sherds from the IA I, IA II, Persian, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine and Crusader/Ayyubid eras have been found here.[4]

Near, and within the village are three shrines dedicated to Sheikh Radwan, Sheikh Ahmad, and

al-Khidr, and his simply dedicated to a holy man with the same name. Al-Khidr or Saint George is revered throughout Palestine in several towns and villages. Sheikh Ahmad's shrine is to the west of 'Arura.[5]

The Shrine of Sheikh Radwan bin 'Ulayl al-Arsufi, built during the

Ayyubid style, on the shrine's surface reads that he was transferred to "blessed Syria" (in early Islamic times, Palestine was a province of Syria). A mosque was constructed adjacent to the shrine.[5]

Pottery sherds from the

Mamluk era have also been found here.[4]

Ottoman era

In 1596 'Arura appeared in the

Muslim, who paid a fixed tax rate of 33,3% on agricultural products, including on wheat, barley, olive trees, vineyards and fruit trees, goats and/or beehives; a total of 12,000 akçe. 1/6 of the revenue went to a Waqf.[6][7]

In the 17th century, the village received an influx of refugees from Beit Qufa near Lydda, who had to abandon their home due to unsettled conditions.[8]

In 1838 'Arurah was noted as a Muslim village, part of the Beni Zeid area, located north of Jerusalem.[9]

Victor Guérin visited the village in the late 19th century, and found it to have about 350-400 inhabitants. He also observed fragments of columns and other indications of an ancient town. There were also threshing-floors which appeared ancient.[10]

Socin found from an official Ottoman village list from about 1870 that Arura had a total of 91 houses and a population of 300, though the population count included men, only.[11][12]

In 1882, the PEF's Survey of Western Palestine described the village, called Arara, as being a small, on high ground, and remarkable for having five sacred places on the west side of the village.[13]

In 1896 the different parts of Arura was estimated to have about 237, 99 and 204 inhabitants; in all a population of 540 persons.[14]

British Mandate era

In the 1922 census of Palestine conducted by the British Mandate authorities, 'Arura had a population of 426 Muslim,[15] increasing in the 1931 census to 566 Muslim, in 131 houses.[16]

The 1945 statistics found 660 Muslim inhabitants,[17] with a total land area of 10,978 dunams.[18] Of this, 7,095 were used for plantations and irrigable land, 787 for cereals,[19] while 26 dunams were classified as built-up areas.[20]

Jordanian era

In the wake of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, and after the 1949 Armistice Agreements, 'Arura came under Jordanian rule.

In 1961, the population of 'Arura was 1,337.[21]

Post 1967

Since the Six-Day War in 1967, 'Arura has been under Israeli occupation.

There was a sharp decrease in the population from 1961 to 1982, caused by nearly half of 'Arura's inhabitants fleeing the village in the 1967

Palestinian refugees.[22] The gender make-up was 1,069 males and 1,018 females.[22]

Shrines

Near and within 'Arura are three shrines dedicate to Sheikh Radwan, Sheikh Ahmad, and

al-Khidr. Al-Khidr's shrine, in the center of the village, has no relation to al-Khidr and his simply dedicated to him. Al-Khidr or Saint George is revered throughout Palestine in several towns and villages. Sheikh Ahmad shrine is to the west of 'Arura.[23]

The Shrine of Sheikh Radwan bin 'Ulayl al-Arsufi, built during the

Ayyubid style, on the shrine's surface reads that he was transferred to "blessed Syria" (in early Islamic times, Palestine was referred to as a province in Syria). A mosque was constructed adjacent to the shrine.[23]

Geography

'Arura is located in the

Bani Zeid area of central Samaria, situated 500 meters above sea level. It is 15 km (9.3 mi) northwest of Ramallah and 3 km (1.9 mi) north of Ajjul. Other nearby localities include Mazari an-Nubani to the northeast, Deir as-Sudan to southeast, Kafr Ein to the east, and Abwein to the southwest.[24] In 1945, 'Arura's total land area was 10,978 dunams, of which was 26 were built-up areas and 2,550 used for olive groves.[25]

Notable people

Saleh al-Arouri (1966 – 2024), a senior leader of Hamas and a founding commander of its military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades.

Demographics

In the 1922 British survey of Palestine, 'Arura had 426 inhabitants rising to 566 in the 1931 census.

Palestinian refugees.[26] The gender make-up was 1,069 males and 1,018 females.[27] According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, it had a population of approximately 2,967 in mid-year 2006 and 3,107 by 2017.[1][28]

References

  1. ^ a b Preliminary Results of the Population, Housing and Establishments Census, 2017 (PDF). Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) (Report). State of Palestine. February 2018. pp. 64–82. Retrieved 2023-10-24.
  2. ^ p.n.; "The letters p.n. (proper name) after a name, mean either that it is a common Arabic personal appellation, or that it is a word to which no meaning can be assigned ; the former will be at once recognized by the Arabic scholar, the latter will form interesting problems for future investigation.", according to Palmer, 1881, pp. preface, 225
  3. ^ a b c d Welcome To 'Arura Palestine Remembered.
  4. ^ a b Finkelstein, 1997, p. 466
  5. ^ a b Sharon, 1997, pp. 121–123
  6. ^ Hütteroth and Abdulfattah, 1977, p. 112
  7. ^ Toledano, 1984, p. 288, has 'Arura at location 35°09′50″E 32°02′30″N.
  8. ^ Marom, Roy (2022-11-01). "Jindās: A History of Lydda's Rural Hinterland in the 15th to the 20th Centuries CE". Lod, Lydda, Diospolis. 1: 14.
  9. ^ Robinson and Smith, 1841, vol 3, Appendix 2, p. 125
  10. ^ Guérin, 1875, p. 170, partly translated in Conder and Kitchener, 1882, SWP II, p. 303
  11. ^ Socin, 1879, p. 144
  12. ^ Hartmann, 1883, p. 107 noted 80 houses
  13. ^ Conder and Kitchener, 1882, SWP II, p. 289
  14. ^ Schick, 1896, p. 124
  15. ^ Barron, 1923, Table VII, Sub-district of Ramallah, p. 16
  16. ^ Mills, 1932, p. 47.
  17. ^ Government of Palestine, Department of Statistics, 1945, p. 26
  18. ^ Government of Palestine, Department of Statistics. Village Statistics, April, 1945. Quoted in Hadawi, 1970, p. 64
  19. ^ Government of Palestine, Department of Statistics. Village Statistics, April, 1945. Quoted in Hadawi, 1970, p. 111
  20. ^ Government of Palestine, Department of Statistics. Village Statistics, April, 1945. Quoted in Hadawi, 1970, p. 161
  21. ^ Government of Jordan, Department of Statistics, 1964, p. 24
  22. ^ a b Palestinian Population by Locality and Refugee Status Archived 2008-11-19 at the Wayback Machine Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS).
  23. ^ a b Sharon, Moshe. (1997). Corpus Inscriptionum Arabicarum Palaestinae, Volume I Brill, pp. 121–123.
  24. ^ Satellite view of 'Arura
  25. ^ a b Hadawi, Sami. (1970). Ramallah District Statistics. p. 64.
  26. ^ Palestinian Population by Locality and Refugee Status Archived 2008-11-19 at the Wayback Machine Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS).
  27. ^ Palestinian Population by Locality and Refugee Status Archived 2008-11-19 at the Wayback Machine Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics.
  28. ^ Projected Mid -Year Population for Ramallah & Al Bireh Governorate by Locality 2004–2006 Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS).

Bibliography

External links

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