Al-Kunayyisa الكنيّسة | |
|---|---|
 Ruin in Al-Kunayyisa | |
| Etymology: The church[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-Kunayyisa (click the buttons) | |
  Al-Kunayyisa Location withinMandatory Palestine | |
| Coordinates:31°53′18″N34°57′27″E / 31.88833°N 34.95750°E /31.88833; 34.95750 | |
| Palestine grid | 146/144 |
| Geopolitical entity | Mandatory Palestine |
| Subdistrict | Ramle |
| Date of depopulation | July 10, 1948[4] |
| Area | |
• Total | 3,872dunams (3.872 km2; 1.495 sq mi) |
| Population (1945) | |
• Total | 40[2][3] |
| Cause(s) of depopulation | Military assault byYishuv forces |
Al-Kunayyisa (Arabic: الكنيسة) was a smallPalestinian Arab village in theRamle Subdistrict. It was depopulated during the1948 Arab–Israeli War on July 10, 1948, under the first stage ofOperation Dani. It was located 12 km southeast ofRamla.
The name of the site, variously rendered al-Kunaysah /li-Knaysi/ is ofArabicorigin and means "the little church". The name probably refers to the remains of an ancient building on the upper part of the mound.[5]
In 1552, al-Kunayyisa was an inhabited village.HasekiHürrem Sultan, the favourite wife ofSuleiman the Magnificent, endowed the tax revenues of al-Kunaysa to itsHaseki Sultan Imaret inJerusalem. Administratively, al-Kunayyisa belonged to the Sub-district ofRamla in the District ofGaza.[6]
In 1838, it was noted it was noted as a place "in ruins or deserted", calledel-Kuneiseh in theLydda District.[7]
In 1883, thePEF'sSurvey of Western Palestine (SWP) noted "Foundations and traces of ruins."[8]
By the beginning of the 20th century, residents fromTirat Ramallah settled the site, establishing it as a dependency – or satellite village – of their home village.[9]
In the1931 census of Palestine Al-Kunayyisa was counted withInnaba, together they had 1135Muslim inhabitants, in 288 houses.[10]
In the1945 statistics Al-Kunayyisa had a population of 40 Muslims,[2] with 3,872dunams of land.[3] Of this, a 64 dunams were used for plantations and irrigable land, 2,432 were used for cereals,[11] while 20 dunams were classified as built-up areas.[12]
A khirba to the east contains rugged stone walls and building remains.[13]
Al-Kunayyisa became depopulated after a military assault on July 10, 1948.[4]
On 20 August 1948, Al-Kunayyisa was one of 32 Palestinian villagers whose land was given to theJNF for establishing Jewish settlements. Al-Kunayyisas land was given toMishmar Ayalon.[14] However, according toWalid Khalidi,Mishmar Ayalon is on the land ofAl-Qubab.[13]
In 1992 the village site was described: "From a distance, the site looks like a big stone pile overgrown with a thicket of thorns. More than thirty partially destroyed buildings, including houses, still stand. The remains of arched doors and windows are visible. Fig, almond, olive, and pomegranate trees and cactuses grow among the buildings. The lands in the vicinity are cultivated by the nearbykibbutz; some are planted with cotton."[15]
