Al-Bireh: Difference between revisions
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==History== |
==History== |
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[[File:Al-Bireh 1880.jpg|thumb|250px|Al-Bireh, 1880]] |
[[File:Al-Bireh 1880.jpg|thumb|250px|Al-Bireh, 1880]] |
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[[Edward Robinson (scholar)|Edward Robinson]] identified Al-Bireh as the [[biblical]] [[Beeroth (north)|Be'eroth]], although this has been challenged by other scholars. <ref>[http://davelivingston.com/bethel14b.htmI Locating Biblical Bethel Correctly]</ref> It is mentioned by [[Saint Jerome]] who described it as "a large village on the way to [[Emmaus]] ([[Imwas]]), 7 miles from Jerusalem."<ref name="Sharon">Sharon, Moshe. (1997).[http://books.google.com/books?id=EPFDU8POrXIC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Corpus+Inscriptionum+Arabicarum+Palaestinae&sig=ACfU3U2LuzPtgLQwwgeOsM1njBLvKfxuwQ#PPA237,M1 Corpus Inscriptionum Arabicarum Palaestinae] BRILL, 236-238.</ref> |
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The [[Crusades|Crusader]]s captured and named the town Birra. They built a castle, church and hospice there. The latter two buildings were built by the [[Templar]]s in 1146 and belonged to the [[Church of the Holy Sepulchre]]. The [[Ayyubid]]s under [[Saladin]] drove away the Crusaders from Birra when they reconquered interior Palestine after the [[Battle of Hittin]] in 1187, and completely demolished the town. [[Yaqut al-Hamawi]] mentions seeing the ruins a few times during his travels in the area. Nearing the end of Ayyubid rule, in 1280, the modern town of al-Bireh was an inhabited village. The Ayyubids built a [[mosque]] in the town dedicated to [[Umar ibn al-Khattab]] adjacent to the church ruins.<ref name="Sharon" /> |
The [[Crusades|Crusader]]s captured and named the town Birra. They built a castle, church and hospice there. The latter two buildings were built by the [[Templar]]s in 1146 and belonged to the [[Church of the Holy Sepulchre]]. The [[Ayyubid]]s under [[Saladin]] drove away the Crusaders from Birra when they reconquered interior Palestine after the [[Battle of Hittin]] in 1187, and completely demolished the town. [[Yaqut al-Hamawi]] mentions seeing the ruins a few times during his travels in the area. Nearing the end of Ayyubid rule, in 1280, the modern town of al-Bireh was an inhabited village. The Ayyubids built a [[mosque]] in the town dedicated to [[Umar ibn al-Khattab]] adjacent to the church ruins.<ref name="Sharon" /> |
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Revision as of 06:47, 8 December 2011
Template:Infobox Palestinian Authority municipality al-Bireh or el-Bira (Arabic: البيرة) is a Palestinian city adjacent to Ramallah in the central West Bank, 15 kilometers (9.3 mi) north of Jerusalem. It is situated on the central ridge running through the West Bank and is 860 meters (2,820 ft) above sea level, covering an area of 22.4 square kilometers (8.6 sq mi). Its name means “Water Well,” and is believed to be derived from the biblical Beeroth.
Because of its location al-Bireh served as an economic crossroad between the north and south, along the caravan route between Jerusalem and Nablus. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS), the town had a population of approximately 39,538 inhabitants in mid-year 2006.[1]
History
Edward Robinson identified Al-Bireh as the biblical Be'eroth, although this has been challenged by other scholars. [2] It is mentioned by Saint Jerome who described it as "a large village on the way to Emmaus (Imwas), 7 miles from Jerusalem."[3]
The Crusaders captured and named the town Birra. They built a castle, church and hospice there. The latter two buildings were built by the Templars in 1146 and belonged to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The Ayyubids under Saladin drove away the Crusaders from Birra when they reconquered interior Palestine after the Battle of Hittin in 1187, and completely demolished the town. Yaqut al-Hamawi mentions seeing the ruins a few times during his travels in the area. Nearing the end of Ayyubid rule, in 1280, the modern town of al-Bireh was an inhabited village. The Ayyubids built a mosque in the town dedicated to Umar ibn al-Khattab adjacent to the church ruins.[3]
Until 1917, the city served as a political and administrative center for the Ottoman Empire. On June 6, 1967, Israeli troops took control of the city during the Six-Day War. In 1994, the civil administration of the city was turned over to the Palestinian National Authority under the Oslo Accords. Al-Bireh is the second largest center of Palestinian administration after Gaza. Besides the governor’s headquarters, it also hosts a considerable number of governmental, non-governmental, and private organizations, including the Ministries of Transportation, Supply, Information, Public Works and Higher Education,[citation needed] as well as the Palestine Broadcasting Corporation and the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics.[4] Due to its proximity with Ramallah, the towns form a single constituency for elections to the Palestinian National Authority.
Demographics
Population
In a 1922 survey by the British Mandate, al-Bireh had a population of 1,479, rising to 2,292 inhabitants in the 1931 census.[5] In a 1945 land and population survey by Sami Hadawi, the town's residents numbered 2,920. [6]
The 1997 census carried out by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics counted 27,856 residents, of which the gender distribution was exactly half male and half female.[7] The majority of the inhabitants were Palestinian refugees who made up 55.4% of the total population.[8] According to the PCBS, in mid-year 2006, al-Bireh had a population of 39,538 inhabitants.[1] In the 2007 PCBS census, there were 38,202 people living in the city.[9]
Lineage
The vast majority of today's al-Bireh non-refugee inhabitants descend from the ancient Palestinian-Canaanites who mixed with Arabs from the Bani Umar tribe when they came to Palestine in late 16th-century.
Al-Bireh is inhabited by five major clans: Abed, Quraan, Hamayyel, Tawil, and Karakrah. Rafidi, a Christian family, was accepted into the Tawil clan.[citation needed]
Government
Al-Bireh established a city council headed by mayor Eid Musa in 1928 under the British Mandate. Eight other mayors took office either through elections or government appointments following Musa, until 1982, when Israel dissolved the council. They replaced it with the Civil Administration of Al-Bireh led by an Israeli officer. In 1986, Israel appointed a temporary council, but the municipal council was established in 1996 by the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) and consisted of 12 member with Sheikh Jamal al-Tawil as mayor.[10]
In the Palestinian municipal elections, 2005 the Hamas-backed Reform and Change List won 9 of the 15 seats, while independent lists won the remaining 6.[11] The current and elected mayor is Umar Hammayil.
Al-Bireh, located in Area A, is under the complete control of the PNA.
Stadium
The the 7,000-seat Majed Ass'ad or Al Bireh International Stadium was completed in 2010; originally constructed in 1996, it was upgraded to international standards from 2006 to 2010 at a cost of €3 million.[12] The work was funded by France, the German Development Bank, the UN Development Agency, and FIFA.[13] Construction was halted by the Israeli Supreme Planning Council on November 1, 2009, but resumed in late December.[14] The Psagot settlement and the advocacy group Regavim petitioned the High Court of Justice to order the stadium's demolition on November 2, citing concerns that "10,000 inflamed Palestinians would rise up after a soccer game" and throw stones at Psagot.[15]
Sister cities
References
- ^ a b Projected Mid -Year Population for Ramallah & Al Bireh Governorate by Locality 2004- 2006 Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS)
- ^ Locating Biblical Bethel Correctly
- ^ a b Sharon, Moshe. (1997).Corpus Inscriptionum Arabicarum Palaestinae BRILL, 236-238.
- ^ General view of al-Bireh Al-Bireh Municipality.
- ^ Al-Bira Town Statistics and Facts Palestine Remembered.
- ^ Hadawi, Sami. (1970). Ramallah District Statistics p.64.
- ^ Palestinian Population by Locality, Sex and Age Groups in Years Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics.
- ^ Palestinian Population by Locality and Refugee Status Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics.
- ^ 2007 PCBS Census. Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics. p.114.
- ^ History of City Council
- ^ Local Elections (Round Four)- Successful lists by local authority and No. of votes obtained Central Elections Commission - Palestine.
- ^ Municipal Development & Lending Fund. "MDLF has completed "Al Bireh International Stadium" project Funded by AFD". 21 April 2010. Retrieved 31 October 2010.
- ^ B'Tselem (25 November 2009). "Civil Administration chokes Palestinian construction". Retrieved 31 October 2010.
- ^ "Al-Bireh stadium construction resumed under specter of halt". Ma'an News Agency. 31 December 2009. Retrieved 31 October 2010.
- ^ Hass, Amira (27 November 2009). "Settlers petition to tear down nearby Palestinian stadium". Ha'aretz. Retrieved 31 October 2010.
