Khirbat Qumbaza | |
|---|---|
| Etymology: Kumbazah, possibly from Persian fordome orcupola[1] | |
A series of historical maps of the area around Khirbat Qumbaza (click the buttons) | |
Location withinMandatory Palestine | |
| Coordinates:32°37′55″N35°1′34″E / 32.63194°N 35.02611°E /32.63194; 35.02611 | |
| Palestine grid | 152/226 |
| Geopolitical entity | Mandatory Palestine |
| Subdistrict | Haifa |
| Date of depopulation | May 1948[3] |
| Population (1931) | |
• Total | 2,160[2] |
| Current Localities | Kerem Maharal[4] |
Khirbat Qumbaza was aPalestinian Arab village in theHaifa Subdistrict, located 21.5 km (13.4 mi) south ofHaifa, 3 km (1.9 mi) away from Wadi al-Milh. It was depopulated during the1948 Arab-Israeli War in May 1948.
One km (0.62 mi) to the southeast of the village site lay the maqam of Shaykh Quttayna, just below Khirbat Quttayna. Khirbat Quttayna has been identified by some scholars as theCanaanite placeKartah.[5]
In the 1882, thePEF'sSurvey of Western Palestine described Khirbat Qumbaza as "a small hamlet on high ground".[6]
In the1931 census of Palestine, conducted by theBritish Mandate authorities, Khirbat Qumbaza was counted withIjzim,Khirbat Al-Manara,Al-Mazar,Shaykh al-Burayk andal-Washahiyya. Together they had a population of 2160; 88 Christians and the rest Muslim, in a total of 442 houses.[2]
In July 1948, theIDF found hundreds of women, children and old people atIjzim and nearby Khirbat Qumbaza. "More than 100" Arabs were reported killed, and about 100 militiamen were taken prisoners.[7] Following the war the area was incorporated into the State of Israel, and according toWalid Khalidi, writing in 1992, some of the village's land was used by the Israeli army as military training ground, while themoshav ofKerem Maharal was close to the old village site.[4]
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) Cited in Khalidi, 1992.