Kawfakha كوفخة Kaufakha | |
|---|---|
 Old mosque of Kawfakha, in 2000, presently used as a storehouse | |
.jpg) 1870s map.jpg) 1940s map.jpg) modern map.jpg) 1940s with modern overlay mapA series of historical maps of the area around Kawfakha (click the buttons) | |
  Kawfakha Location withinMandatory Palestine | |
| Coordinates:31°28′42″N34°39′42″E / 31.47833°N 34.66167°E /31.47833; 34.66167 | |
| Palestine grid | 117/098 |
| Geopolitical entity | Mandatory Palestine |
| Subdistrict | Gaza |
| Date of depopulation | May 25, 1948[3] |
| Area | |
• Total | 8,569dunams (8.569 km2; 3.309 sq mi) |
| Population (1945) | |
• Total | 500[1][2] |
| Cause(s) of depopulation | Military assault byYishuv forces |
| Current Localities | Nir Akiva[4] |
Kawfakha' (Arabic:كوفخة) was aPalestinian village located 18 kilometers (11 mi) east ofGaza that was depopulated during the1948 Arab-Israeli war.
The village stood on a stretch of sandy, rolling land in the northernNegev. A network of secondary roads linked it to the highways betweenGaza andJulis, which ran parallel to the coastal highway.[5]
Ceramics from theByzantine era have been found here.[6]
Kawfakha was inhabited in the15th century. In 1472–1473 CE, SultanQaitbayendowed it for the benefit of hisJerusalemmadrasa.[7]
In 1838, in the lateOttoman era,el-Kaufakhah was noted as a place "in ruins or deserted."[8]
In 1882, thePEF'sSurvey of Western Palestine (SWP) noted atKhurbet el Kofkhah: "a large site. Rubblecisterns, a marblecapital, withacanthus leaves. Scattered stones and pottery."[9]
Kawfakwa was founded in the late nineteenth century by Gaza city residents who came to cultivate the surrounding land. In its center was amosque that was well known in the region, built in the reign of theOttoman sultanAbd al-Hamid II (1876–1909).[5][10]
In the1922 census of Palestine, conducted by theBritish Mandate authorities,Kufakha had a population of 203 Muslims,[11] increasing in the1931 census to 317, still all Muslims, in 56 houses.[12]
The village had an elementary school and some small shops. The villagers obtained water for domestic use from twowells inside the village. The land on the northern side of the village was planted with fruit trees, such asapricots,olives,almonds,grapes andfigs. On the other sides of the village grain was grown.[13]
In the1945 statistics Kawfakha had a population of 500 Muslims,[1] with a total of 8,569dunams of land, according to an official land and population survey.[2] Of this, a total of 97dunums was irrigated or used for orchards, and 7,768 dunums (of public land) were allotted to cereals,[14] while 41 dunams were built-up, public land.[15]
During the1948 Arab-Israeli War, the villagers of Kawfakha repeatedly asked to surrender, accept Jewish rule and be allowed to stay, all to no avail.[16] Kawfakha, together withal-Muharraqa, was raided by thePalmach'sNegev Brigade on May 27–28, and the inhabitants of both villages were expelled or driven out.[17] On May 30, aNew York Times correspondent reported that the two villages had been captured.[4]
Following the war the area was incorporated into theState of Israel and themoshav ofNir Akiva was established in 1953 on village lands, southwest of the village site.[4]
According to Khalidi, by 1992 the village remaining structures on the village land were:
"Only the mosque remains, and it is used as a storehouse for animal fodder and as a horse stable. It is a stone structure with arched entrances and windows on all sides; its roof is topped by three shallow domes. The site, which contains piles of rubble and is overgrown with cactuses and other desert plants, has been fenced in and serves as a pasture. There is a citrus grove west of it, and grain is grown by Israeli farmers on part of the surrounding land."[4]
The village mosque was inspected in 1994, and found to be built ofashlar stones (approximately 0.2m x 0.4 m) with the corners emphasised by a slight offset. At the north-west corner there was a thick squareminaret 10–15 meters high with chamfered corners. There are three doorways on the north side, two of which lead into the prayer hall, whilst the east door leads into a separate room. At the time of the inspection, the mosque was used as a storehouse for a nearby farm ("Avi´s Ranch").[18]
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