Ein al-Zeitun
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| Ein al-Zeitun | |
| Arabic | عين الزيتون |
| Name Meaning | "spring of olives" |
| Also Spelled | Ayn az-Zaytun |
| District | Ramla |
| Population | 820 (1945) |
| Jurisdiction | 1,100 dunams (1.1 km²) |
| Date of depopulation | May 2, 1948 |
| Cause(s) of depopulation | Military assault by Jewish forces |
| Cause 2 | Explusion by Jewish forces |
| Current localities | None |
Ein al-Zeitun is a former Palestinian village, located 1.5 kilometers north of Safad in the Upper Galilee. In 1945, the village had a population of 820 inhabitants and a total land area of 1,100 dunams.[1] Ein al-Zeitun was entirely Muslim. The village's small population and land area as well as its proximity to Safad made it a suburb of the city. In 1596, it was officially a nahiya of Jira or Safad and the village paid taxes on olives, grapes, wheat and barley. The town contained a mosque and a boys' elementary school.[2]
[edit] Capture by Israelis
Ein al-Zeitun was captured by Palmach troops on May 2, 1948. Immediately prior to the capture, most of the young and middle-aged males fled the town. The remaining population was expelled by Israeli forces in the following days.[1] One man was killed after a group of the village's inhabitants attempted to return to Ein al-Zeitun.[1][2] According to Palestinian historian Walid Khalidi,[1][2]
The rubble of destroyed stone houses is scattered throughout the site, which is otherwise overgrown with olive trees and cactuses [cacti]. A few deserted houses remain, some with round arched entrances and tall windows with various arched designs. In one of the remaining houses, the smooth stone above the entrance arch is inscribed with Arabic calligraphy, a fixture of Palestinian architecture. The well and the village spring also remain.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d Welcome to Ayn al-Zaytun:Town Statistics and Facts Palestine Remembered. Population and land statistics provided by Sami Hadawi's Village Statistics of 1945 (1970)
- ^ a b c Villages of Palestine:‘Ayn al-Zaytun Dr. Khalil Rizk.
