Balila

Coordinates:
Country  Jordan
Province Irbid Governorate
Municipality established 1927
Government
 • Type Municipality
 • Mayor Eng.Tarek Ziad OKasheh MAGABLEH
Population (2007)
 • Total 12,000
Time zone GMT +2
 • Summer (DST) +3 (UTC)
Area code(s) +(962)2

Balila also is a name for a town in North Jordan, between Irbid and Jerash located in the Irbid Governorate. Balila is located in the far northwest of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. It covers 40 km², and has a population of over 8,000 people.

Contents

Name

Balila is Turkish for "High Point". Balila is located at the start of the mountains that head towards Syria called Huran, which translates to "flat land".

History

Balila is located near the border of Syria and Israel. The Roman Empire utilized Balila as a remote hub to cross-link their colonies.

Economy

Balila's economy relies on local commerce and farming.

Culture

The town is famous for the inherited ritual-poetries recited in wedding ceremonies and public affairs. One of their dances is called the Dabkeh, which people from Balila are famous in.

Education

The town is home to the Jordan University of Science and Technology, which includes a large private hospital that provides medical treatments and allows medical students attending the university to participate in internships.

Family

Balila is the home of a rather large family called Magableh which is one of the largest families in Jordan. They have a population in more than 8 villages in Irbed and Jerash Governorate, which have more than 40,000 in total.

Influenced dance

[[Image:Debka.jpg‎|thumb||250px|Men dancing dabke in Al-Bireh, Dabke (Arabic: دبكة; also transliterated dabka, and dabkeh) is the most popular Arab folk dance in Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria.It is also danced in parts of Egypt Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. A line dance, it is widely performed at weddings and joyous occasions. The leader of the dabke heads the line, alternating between facing the audience and the other dancers.

Dabke in Arabic is literally "stamping of the feet." The leader, called raas ("head") or lawweeh ("waver"), is allowed to improvise on the type of dabke. The leader twirls a handkerchief or string of beads known as a masbha (similar to a rosary), while the rest of the dancers keep the rhythm. The dancers also use vocalizations to show energy and keep up the beat. The dabke leader is supposed to be like a tree, with arms in the air, a proud and upright trunk, and feet that stomp the ground in rhythm. At weddings, the singer begins with a mawwal. The raas or lawweeh takes the lead. Everyone does a basic 1-2-3 step before the song kicks in. At weddings, the dance is sometimes performed by a professional troupe dressed in costume.