al-Muzayri'a المُزيرعة al-Muzeiri'a | |
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| Etymology: El Mezeirảh, The sown lands[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-Muzayri'a (click the buttons) | |
  al-Muzayri'a Location withinMandatory Palestine | |
| Coordinates:32°02′57″N34°56′58″E / 32.04917°N 34.94944°E /32.04917; 34.94944 | |
| Palestine grid | 145/161 |
| Geopolitical entity | Mandatory Palestine |
| Subdistrict | Ramle |
| Date of depopulation | 12 July 1948[4] |
| Area | |
• Total | 10,822dunams (10.822 km2; 4.178 sq mi) |
| Population (1945) | |
• Total | 1,160[2][3] |
| Cause(s) of depopulation | Military assault by Israeli forces |
| Current Localities | Mazor[5][6]Nechalim[6]El'ad[7] |
Al-Muzayri'a (Arabic:المُزيرعة) was aPalestinian village in theRamle Subdistrict. It was depopulated in 1948. In 1998 the new Israeli city ofEl'ad was built over the ruins.
Al-Muzayri'a was located 15 kilometers (9.3 mi) north-northeast ofal-Ramla, on limestone hill, overlooking the coastal plain. Awadi ran along its southern part, and separated it from the village ofQula. The village was about 1 km east of the al-Ramla-Haifa railway line. It was also located to the east of the al-Ramla-Jaffa highway.[6]
The location has a long history of habitation. ARoman mausoleum, still standing (about 1 km south of the village site), was converted into amosque dedicated to a prophet, al-Nabi Yahya ("the Prophet John").[when?] About 1 km northeast of the village was Khirbat Zikhrin, a Roman-Byzantine site that was again inhabited during theMamluk andOttoman periods. The place has been excavated since 1982.[6]
In 1596, Al-Muzayri'a was part of theOttoman Empire,nahiya (subdistrict) of Jabel Qubal under theliwa' (district) ofNablus with a population of 7Muslim households; an estimated population of thirty-nine. The villagers paid a fixed tax rate of 33,3% on a number of crops, includingwheat,barley, andolives, as well as goats, and beehives; a total of 1,300akçe.[8]
The mention of (atar)Misqāh ibn Rumayḥ /Misqā Ibn Rmēḥ/ “(the remains) of Ibn Rumayḥ’s trough”, in a 1552endowment document, suggests that the Rumayḥs, who inhabited al-Muzayri‘a during the 18th–20th centuries, probably resided there during the 16th century.[9]
The village was possibly abandoned during the 17th century.
The village was reoccupied in the 18th century by the al-Rumayh family, returning fromDayr Ghassana.[6][10]
In 1838el Muzeiri'ah was among the villagesEdward Robinson noted from the top of theWhite Mosque inRamla,[11] while A. Mansell mentioned passing the village in the early 1860s.[12]
In 1870,Victor Guérin described the village as sitting on a stony hill, noting that its houses appeared small.[13] An Ottoman village list of about the same year showed that "Mezari" had 68 houses and a population of 234, though the population count included men only. It also noted "a very old temple".[14][15]
In 1882, thePEF'sSurvey of Western Palestine (SWP) described it as "anadobe village on the edge of the hills, nearQula".[16]
In the1922 census of Palestine, conducted by theBritish Mandate authorities,Muzaira'a had a population of 578, allMuslims,[17] increasing in the1931 census to 780, still all Muslims, in a total of 186 houses.[18]
In 1919, a school for boys was founded in the village. By 1945, it had become a full-fledged elementary school, with 207 students, including children of the neighboring villages. 35 dunums of land were attached to the school. A school for girls was founded in 1945, and had an initial enrollment of 78 students.[6]
In the1945 statistics, the village had a population of 1,160, all Muslim,[3] and the total land area was 10,822 dunams.[2] A total of 953dunums of village land was used forcitrus andbananas, 5,895 dunums were used for cereals, 35 dunums were irrigated or used for orchards,[6][19] while 25 dunams were classified as built-up urban areas.[20]
Al-Muzayri'a was located in the territory allotted to the Arab state under the 1947UN Partition Plan.[21]Al-Muzayri was depopulated on 12 July 1948, after a military assault by Israeli forces.[4]
The Israelimoshav ofNehalim was founded in 1949 on the northwestern part of former village land. The moshav ofMazor was founded the same year on the western part of former village land.[6]
The Palestinian historianWalid Khalidi, described the place in 1992: "The site is largely forested. While a few houses remain, most have been reduced to rubble. Cacti and stone terraces are visible on the site."[6]
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