Al-Tira طيرة دندن | |
|---|---|
 Remains of themosque of Al-Tira | |
| Etymology: "The Fort"[1] | |
.jpg) 1870s map.jpg) 1940s map.jpg) modern map.jpg) 1940s with modern overlay mapA series of historical maps of the area around Al-Tira, Ramle (click the buttons) | |
  Al-Tira Location withinMandatory Palestine | |
| Coordinates:32°01′02″N34°56′35″E / 32.01722°N 34.94306°E /32.01722; 34.94306 | |
| Palestine grid | 144/158 |
| Geopolitical entity | Mandatory Palestine |
| Subdistrict | Ramle |
| Date of depopulation | July 10, 1948[4] |
| Area | |
• Total | 6,956dunams (6.956 km2; 2.686 sq mi) |
| Population (1945) | |
• Total | 1,290[2][3] |
| Cause(s) of depopulation | Military assault byYishuv forces |
| Current Localities | Tirat Yehuda,[5]Giv'at Ko'ah,[5]Bareket[5] |
Al-Tira was aPalestinian village in theRamle Subdistrict. It was depopulated during the1948 Arab–Israeli War on July 10, 1948, by the Alexandroni and Armored (Eighth) brigades underOperation Dani. It was located 12 km northeast ofRamla. al-Tira was mostly destroyed with the exception of a few houses survived destruction.
Archeological remains fromEarly Bronze Age,[6]Iron Age II,[6]Hellenistic[6][7] andRoman era have been found.[6]
A wine-press, dating to late Roman or earlyByzantine era have been excavated,[8] together with acistern, dating from the pre-Byzantine era.[9]
Crusader era remains have been found,[10] together with remains from theMamluk era.[6][10]
In 1517, Tira was incorporated into theOttoman Empire along with the rest ofPalestine, and by 1596 it was a part of thenahiya ("subdistrict") ofRamla, which was under the administration of theliwa ("district") ofGaza. A village of 26 households and 3 bachelors, an estimated 160 persons,Muslims. They paid a fixed tax rate of 25% on agricultural products, such as wheat, barley, vineyards, fruit trees, beehives, and goats, a total of 6,800akçe.[11][12]
In 1863,Victor Guérin noted Al-Tira situated about 2 kilometres south ofQula, and containing five hundred inhabitants.[13] Guérin also found here "caves and a tomb cut in the rock; also, still standing, the door of an ancient house, its twojambs formed of great cut stones covered by a splendid block forming thelintel, and formerly decorated by mouldings, now effaced".[14] An Ottoman village list from about the same year (1870) indicated 54 houses and a population of 385, though the population count included men, only.[15][16]
In 1882, thePEF'sSurvey of Western Palestine described it as: "A mud village of moderate size, with cactus hedges, situated at the edge of the plain, the hills rising behind; on the west, by the high road, is a good well, with remains of masonry".[17]
In 1896, the population ofEt-tire was estimated to be about 210 persons.[18]
In the1922 census of Palestine conducted by theBritish Mandate authorities,Tireh had a population of 705, all Muslims,[19] increasing in the1931 census to 892, still all Muslims, in a total of 225 houses.[20]
An elementary school was founded in 1922, and by 1947–48, it had an enrollment of 110 boys and 22 girls.[12]
In the1945 statistics the population was 1,290, all Muslims,[2] while the total land area was 6,956dunams, according to an official land and population survey.[3] Of this, 78 were allocated for plantations and irrigable land, 5,551 for cereals,[21] while 45 dunams were classified as built-up areas.[22]
Al-'Umari Mosque was one of the notable landmarks.[12]
The village became depopulated on July 10, 1948, after a military assault by the Israeli army.[4] On the same day,Operation Danny headquarter ordered theYiftach Brigade to blow up most ofInnaba and Al-Tira, leaving only houses enough for a small garrison.[23][24]
The Israeli settlements ofTirat Yehuda,Giv'at Ko'ah andBareket are all on the land of Al-Tira.[5]
In 1992 the village site was described: "The site, situated next to paved road, is partly deserted and overgrown with a variety of trees, such as olive, date palm, fig and gum trees. The rubble of some of the destroyed houses is visible.A number of stone houses survive, however; some are deserted, others are occupied by Israelis, and still others are used as stables for livestock. A deserted house, fenced in with barbed wire, has high, round-arched windows and a flat roof; the yard is overgrown with untended grass. One of the occupied houses is quite modest. It has a rectangular door and window and a flat roof; date-palm and other trees grow on two sides. A second, larger, occupied house has two stories and a wide porch, and is also surrounded by trees. A third is also quite large and has two stories; a side stairway leads to a second-floor porch and there is a large, round arched entrance on the first floor. There are some destroyed houses inside the settlement ofBareqet. Some of the surrounding land is planted in grapes and kiwi fruit."[5]
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