Al-Maghar المغار | |
|---|---|
 Al-Maghar, 1940 | |
| Etymology: The caves[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-Maghar (click the buttons) | |
  Al-Maghar Location withinMandatory Palestine | |
| Coordinates:31°50′19″N34°46′56″E / 31.83861°N 34.78222°E /31.83861; 34.78222 | |
| Palestine grid | 129/138 |
| Geopolitical entity | Mandatory Palestine |
| Subdistrict | Ramle |
| Date of depopulation | 18 May 1948[4] |
| Area | |
• Total | 15,390dunams (15.39 km2; 5.94 sq mi) |
| Population (1945) | |
• Total | 1,740[2][3] |
| Cause(s) of depopulation | Military assault byYishuv forces |
| Current Localities | Beit Elazari[5] |
Al-Maghar was aPalestinian Arab village in theRamle Subdistrict ofMandatory Palestine. It was depopulated by theGivati Brigade duringOperation Barak on 18 May 1948. It was located 12 km southwest ofRamla, situated north of Wadi al-Maghar.
An inscription which was inGreek, and dated to a Christian period was found here.[6][7]
In the 8th century, the village was the birthplace of theIslamic jurist Abu al-Hasan Muhammad al-Maghari.[8]
In 1517, Al-Maghar, like the rest ofPalestine, was incorporated into theOttoman Empire, and in the 1596tax registers the village appeared under the name ofImgar, as being in thenahiya (subdistrict) ofGaza under theLiwa of Gaza, with a population was 22 households, allMuslim. The villagers paid a fixed tax rate of 33,3% on various agricultural products, such as wheat, barley, summer crops, fruit trees, olive trees, and sesame; a total of 6,400akçe.[9]
In 1838,el Mughar was noted byEdward Robinson fromAqir,[10] he further noted it as a Muslim village in the Gaza district.[11]
In 1863Victor Guérin found a village with about 200 inhabitants living inadobe houses. He further noted "vast fields, of which the extreme fertility delights the sight." Thebarley was already partially harvested, and elsewhere the plain was seeded with corn anddurrah.[12]
An Ottoman village list of about 1870 indicated 54 houses and a population of 174, though the population count included men, only.[13][14]
In 1882, thePEF'sSurvey of Western Palestine (SWP) described it as consisting almost entirely ofadobe houses, "occupying the south slope of the hill, and built in front of caves in the rock. There are fig-gardens beneath, and pasture-land round it on the north and east. The village is not larger than most of those in the plain." "It has twowells: one north, one west."[15]Figs were noted here.[16]
TheBattle of Mughar Ridge between British and Ottoman forces in theWorld War I was fought in the environs of Al-Maghar.
In the1922 census of Palestine conducted by theBritish Mandate authorities,Mughar had a population of 966 inhabitants, allMuslims,[17] while in the1931 census,Mughar had 255 occupied houses and a population of 1,211 Muslims.[18]
In the1945 statistics, it had a population of 1,740 Muslims,[2] and the total land area was 15,390dunums.[3] Of this, Arabs used a total of 1,772 dunums forcitrus andbananas, 9,075 dunums were used for cereals, 86 dunums were irrigated or used for orchards,[19] while 31 dunams were classified as built-up urban areas.[20]
It had an elementary school and in 1945, it had an enrollment of 170 students.[5]
The village was attacked, occupied and depopulated on 18 May 1948.[4][21] In June 1948, the village was destroyed to prevent the return of the inhabitants.[22] In early 1949, AmericanQuaker relief workers reported that many of those living in tents in what becameMaghazi refugee camp had come from Al-Maghar.[23]
The Israelimoshav ofBeit Elazari is built on the land of the destroyed Palestinian town of Al-Maghar.[5]
