Al-Ghubayya al-Fawqa الغبية الفوقا Ghubayya al Fauqa[1] | |
|---|---|
Village | |
 Al-Ghubayya al-Fawqa in historical context | |
.jpg) 1870s map.jpg) 1940s map.jpg) modern map.jpg) 1940s with modern overlay mapA series of historical maps of the area around Al-Ghubayya al-Fawqa (click the buttons) | |
  Al-Ghubayya al-Fawqa Location withinMandatory Palestine | |
| Coordinates:32°36′5″N35°9′5″E / 32.60139°N 35.15139°E /32.60139; 35.15139 | |
| Palestine grid | 164/223 |
| Geopolitical entity | Mandatory Palestine |
| Subdistrict | Haifa |
| Date of depopulation | April 8–9, 1948[1] |
| Population (1945) | |
• Total | 1,130[2][3] |
| Cause(s) of depopulation | Military assault byYishuv forces |
Al-Ghubayya al-Fawqa was aPalestinian Arab village in theHaifa Subdistrict. It was depopulated during the1947–48 Civil War in Mandatory Palestine on April 8, 1948, during theBattle of Mishmar HaEmek. It was located 28 km southeast ofHaifa.
The village was partly inhabited byTurkmens.[4]
During the earlyOttoman era, in 1596 the village appeared under the name ofGubayya in thetax registers, being part of thenahiya (subdistrict) ofSahilAtlit in theSanjak (district) ofLajjun. It had a population of 39 households; an estimated 215 people, allMuslim. They paid a fixed tax-rate of 25% on agricultural products, including wheat, barley, summer crops, goats and beehives, and water buffaloes; the taxes totalled 21,690akçe.[5][6]
Al-Ghubayya al-Fawqa shared an elementary school built by the Ottomans in 1888 with the nearby villages ofal-Ghubayya-al-Tahta andal-Naghnaghiyya. The school was later closed during the British Mandate period. The village had its own mosque.[6]
In the1922 census of Palestine, conducted by theBritish Mandate authorities,Ghabba al-Fuqa had a population of 41 Muslims.[7]In the1931 census, the two al-Ghubayya village were counted together, and the total population was 200 Muslims, in 38 houses.[8]
In the1945 statistics the population was counted with the neighbouringal-Ghubayya-al-Tahta andal-Naghnaghiyya, and together they had a population of 1,130 Muslims,[2] with a total of 12,139dunams of land according to an official land and population survey.[3] Of this, 209 dunams were for plantations and irrigable land, 10,883 for cereals,[9] while a total of 1,047 dunams were non-cultivable land.[10]
In addition to agriculture, residents practicedanimal husbandry which formed was an important source of income for the town. In 1943, they owned 104 heads ofcattle, 32horses, 23donkeys, 500fowls, and 64pigeons.[11]
On 8 and 9 April 1948, theHaganah raided al-Ghubayya al-Fawqa,al-Ghubayya-al-Tahta andKhirbet Beit Ras, and proceeded to blow them up in the following days.[12] The report on 9 April from theGolani Brigade stated that they were "preparing to destroy the villages when we evacuate them".[13] They destroyed al-Ghubayya al-Fawqa the following night.[14]
Following the war the area was incorporated into theState of Israel. By 1992 thekibbutz ofMishmar HaEmek was using some of al-Ghubayya al-Fawqa's former land as pastures.[6]
