ad-Dhahiriya

ad-Dhahiriya
Other transcription(s)
 • Arabic الظاهرية
 • Also spelled al-Dhahiriya (official)
az-Zahiriya (unofficial)

Skyline of ad-Dhahiriya, 2008
ad-Dhahiriya

Location of ad-Dhahiriya within the Palestinian Territories

Coordinates: 31°24′27.44″N 34°58′20.28″E / 31.4076222°N 34.9723000°E / 31.4076222; 34.9723000Coordinates: 31°24′27.44″N 34°58′20.28″E / 31.4076222°N 34.9723000°E / 31.4076222; 34.9723000
Palestine grid 147/090
Governorate Hebron
Government
 • Type City
Population (2016)
 • Jurisdiction 38,002
Name meaning "The village on the ridge"[1]

ad-Dhahiriya (also az-Zahiriya) (Arabic: الظاهرية‎) is a Palestinian city in the Hebron Governorate, 23 km southwest of the city of Hebron in the southern West Bank. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, ad-Dhahiriya had a population of 38.002 in 2016.[2]

History

Ad-Dhahiriya in the 1920s

According to Conder and Kitchener Ad-Dhahiriya was probably the site of the ancient biblical town of Debir.[3] They found the village undermined by caves. In the centre of Ad-Dhahiriya was a tower, which appeared to be from before the Crusader era, possibly from early Christian or Roman period.[4]

Local tradition, supported by archaeology, have that ad-Dhahiriya was founded by Baibars (†1277).[5]

Ottoman period

In 1856, a Scottish clergyman, Horatius Bonar described the village and its ruined castle: "Suddenly, at an abrupt elbow of the ravine, we are relieved by seeing the old castle, perched on its rocky height well in the setting sun; the poor village, which seems to hang about it, with its square yellow huts, rather helps, at this distance, to improve its appearance, and to give dignity to its towers and broken ramparts. From this point it looks much bolder and substantial than it is; not so isolated as El-Aujeh, which we passed some days ago, but well-set upon yon craggy perch. Like most of its fellow castles in the east and border “peels” in the north, it has seen better days, and has at one time, been a noble stronghold for Romans, or Crusaders, or Turks…"[6]

In 1863 the French explorer Victor Guérin visited the place, and found that many of the men had fled, mostly further south in tents, in order to avoid conscription. He noted one building, measuring sixteen steps on each side which was built in beautiful stone. It contained several vaulted chambers, and was the home of one of the sheikhs of the village. Several other private houses were also built with fine materials, from old buildings; some even seemed to date, either entirely or only in their lower courses from the Roman period.[7]

According to the Palestine Exploration Fund's Survey of Western Palestine, the village had a population of 300-400 in 1874. In 1877, it was deserted due to "encroachment of the Arabs into the country of the fellahin".[3]

British Mandate era

In a census conducted in 1922 by the British Mandate authorities, Ad-Dhahiriya (called: AI Dahriyeh) had an entirely Muslim population of 2,266,[8] increasing in the 1931 census to 2930, still all Muslim, in 603 houses.[9]

In 1945 the population of Ad-Dhahiriya was 3,760, all Arabs, who owned 60,585 dunams of land according to an official land and population survey.[10] 166 dunams were plantations and irrigable land, 54,205 for cereals,[11] while 284 dunams were built-up (urban) land.[12]

Modern era

In the wake of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, and after the 1949 Armistice Agreements, Ad-Dhahiriya came under Jordanian rule. The first village council was established in 1963. After Six-Day War in 1967, Ad-Dhahiriya has been under Israeli occupation.

In 1996, the Palestinian Authority appointed a municipal council. In 2004, a 13-member council was elected with paid employees.[13]

The primary health care facilities for the municipality are designated by the Ministry of Health as level 3.[14]

According to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the entrance to the village was closed by an IDF earth mound on 14 April 2005, forcing all Palestinians in the area to travel via Dura.[15]

References

  1. ↑ Palmer, 1881, p. 429
  2. ↑ 'Localities in Hebron Governorate by Type of Locality and Population Estimates, 2007-2016 ,' Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, 2016.
  3. 1 2 Conder and Kitchener, 1883, SWP III, p. 402
  4. ↑ Conder and Kitchener, 1883, SWP III, pp. 406-408
  5. ↑ Pringle, 1997, p. 47
  6. ↑ Bonar, 1858, p. 32
  7. ↑ Guérin, 1869, pp. 361, 367-368
  8. ↑ Barron, 1923, Table V, p. 10
  9. ↑ Mills, 1932, p. 28.
  10. ↑ Government of Palestine, Department of Statistics. Village Statistics, April, 1945. Quoted in Hadawi, 1970, p. 50
  11. ↑ Government of Palestine, Department of Statistics. Village Statistics, April, 1945. Quoted in Hadawi, 1970, p. 93
  12. ↑ Government of Palestine, Department of Statistics. Village Statistics, April, 1945. Quoted in Hadawi, 1970, p. 143
  13. ↑ The priorities and needs for development in Adh Dhahiriya town based on the community and local authorities’ assessment
  14. ↑ West Bank Health care
  15. ↑ OCHA Weekly Briefing Notes Update for oPt (13–19 April 2005)

Bibliography

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External links

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