Ras Karkar | |
|---|---|
| Arabic transcription(s) | |
| • Arabic | رأس كركر |
| • Latin | Er-Ras (unofficial) |
 Ras Karkar castle | |
  Ras Karkar Location of Ras Karkar withinPalestine | |
| Coordinates:31°56′37″N35°06′18″E / 31.94361°N 35.10500°E /31.94361; 35.10500 | |
| Palestine grid | 159/150 |
| State |  State of Palestine |
| Governorate | Ramallah and al-Bireh |
| Government | |
| • Type | Municipality |
| Population (2017)[1] | |
• Total | 1,956 |
| Name meaning | The Hill-top[2] |
Ras Karkar (Arabic:رأس كركر) is aPalestinian village in theRamallah and al-Bireh Governorate of theState of Palestine, located 11 kilometers (6.8 mi) northwest ofRamallah in the northernWest Bank.
Ras Karkar is a small village situated atop a commanding hill. One of thethrone villages of the lateOttoman period,[3][4] It is home to a fortifiedsheikh house built during the early 19th century by the Simhan family.[5] According to thePalestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS), the town had a population of 1,956 inhabitants in 2017.[1]
Ras Karkar is bordered byAl-Janiya to the east,Al-Itihad to the north,Kharbatha Bani Harith to the west, andKafr Ni'ma to the south.[6]
Potsherds from theHellenistic,Mamluk and early Ottoman era have been found.[5]
Ras Karkar does not appear in 16th century records.[5] It is home to a fortress that was built, possibly in 1812, by the SImhan family which dominated the area in the 19th century. The land was purchased from a Christian family, probably in the late 19th century.[7]
The village, also known asRas Ibn Samhan, is topped with a castle on a high, rocky and sharply sloping mountain surrounded bycactus trees. One of the manythrone villages (a central village dominated by a semi-feudal family which controlled tens of villages around it) inPalestine, the castle of the Samhan family, erected in 18th or 19th century, is the subject of a preservation effort, and provides proof of the great power and wealth held by its owners at the time.[8][9]
The chiefSheikh of the Simhan family was Isma'il, who was killed byIbrahim Pasha in the1834 uprising. After Isma'il, Hasan es-Sa'id and Mohammah ibn Isma'il became the rulers.[10]
Edward Robinson passed by in 1838, and described the place as "a castle".[11][12] It was also noted as aMuslim village, located in theBeni Harith district, west of Jerusalem.[13]
Ras Karkar was ruled by Sheikh Ismail Ibn Samhan who was respected and appreciated by his clan for the many contributions and support that he provided. Sheikh Ismail was killed by theAbu Ghosh family which controlled another throne village near Ras Karkar, and the castle was handed over to his nephew Hussein.[citation needed]
An Ottoman village list from about 1870 showed that Ras Karkar had 16 houses and a population of 74, though the population count included men only.[14][15]
In 1882 thePEF'sSurvey of Western Palestine (SWP) describedRas Kerker as "a small village in a lofty position, with a spring below it on the north. In the middle of the village is a fortress built about 50 year since. The place was the seat of the great native family ofBeni Simhan."[16]
In 1896 the population ofEr-Ras was estimated to be about 210 persons.[17]
In the1922 census of Palestine conducted by theBritish Mandate authorities,Ras Kerker had a population of 209 Muslims,[18] increasing in the1931 census to 291 Muslims, in a total of 75 houses.[19]
In the1945 statistics, the population was 340 Muslims,[20] while the total land area was 5,883dunams, according to an official land and population survey.[21] Of this, 3,366 were allocated for plantations and irrigable land, 1,237 for cereals,[22] while 12 dunams were classified as built-up areas.[23]
In the wake of the1948 Arab–Israeli War, and after the1949 Armistice Agreements, Ras Karkar came underJordanian rule.
In 1961, the population of Ras Karkar was 478.[24]
After theSix-Day War in 1967, Ras Karkar has been underIsraeli occupation.
The population ofRas Karker in the 1967 census conducted by the Israeli authorities was 399, 19 of whom originated from the Israeli territory.[25]
After the1995 accords, 18.6% of Ras Karkar's land was classified asArea B, while the remaining 81.4% isArea C. Israel has confiscated land from Ras Karkar for the establishment of the Israeli outpost "Zayt Ra'nan", and for the construction of roads leading to theIsraeli settlement ofTalmon.[26]
The castle is surrounded with historic buildings, overlooking to the west the mountains leading to theMediterranean Sea and to the south, thecity of Jerusalem. The village fields below are planted witholive trees.[citation needed]
Entering the now abandoned castle from the northern gate leads to a large courtyard surrounded by a row of rooms.Al-Iliyeh, which is the highest room in the three-floor castle, was used for administrative purposes and as the Sheikh's private refuge. Narrow hallways and oil storage containers, as well as decorations and poems carved in the castle's walls and stones are among the things one can see there.[citation needed]
Just north of Ras Karkar isNeby Annir, meaning "The prophet Annir".[2] According toTawfiq Canaan, writing in 1927, this place (calleden−Nebi 'Annir inBeni Harit) was formerly a place of pilgrimage (mawasim), taking place about the same time as theNabi Musa religious festival; at theDjum'et el-'Alemat, orFeast of the Flags, onGood Friday.[27]
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