Taytaba طيطبا Teitaba[1] | |
|---|---|
| Etymology: "Watchtower"[2] | |
.jpg) 1870s map.jpg) 1940s map.jpg) modern map.jpg) 1940s with modern overlay mapA series of historical maps of the area around Taytaba (click the buttons) | |
  Taytaba Location withinMandatory Palestine | |
| Coordinates:33°00′48″N35°28′35″E / 33.01333°N 35.47639°E /33.01333; 35.47639 | |
| Palestine grid | 194/268 |
| Geopolitical entity | Mandatory Palestine |
| Subdistrict | Safad |
| Date of depopulation | May 1948[1] |
| Area | |
• Total | 8,453dunams (8.453 km2; 3.264 sq mi) |
| Population (1945) | |
• Total | 530[3][4] |
| Cause(s) of depopulation | Fear of being caught up in the fighting |
| Current Localities | None |
Taytaba (Arabic:طيطبا, also spelledTeitaba) was aPalestinian-Arab village in theSafad Subdistrict, located 5 kilometers north ofSafad. It was depopulated during the1947–1948 Civil War in Mandatory Palestine in May 1948 underOperation Hiram. In 1945 it had a population of 530 and a total area of 8,453 dunams, 99.8% of which was Arab-owned.[5]
It was situated in a rocky area located along the crest of a basaltic hill that overlooks Wadi Taytaba, a tributary ofWadi Waqqas, to the southeast. It was connected to a highway leading to Safad via a secondary road and connected to many of the surrounding villages through secondary roads as well.[5]
Taytaba has been suggested as the Biblical site whereElijah received hispatronymic of "Tishbite".[2][6]
During the earlyOttoman era in 1596, Taytaba was part of thenahiyah ("subdistrict") of Jira, part ofSafad Sanjak, and paid taxes on goats and beehives, in addition to a fixed amount; a total of 5,220akçe. It had a population of 73 households and 6 bachelors, an estimated 434 persons. All wereMuslims.[7][8]
In 1838,Robinson noted the village when he travelled in the region,[9] as a village located in the Safad district.[10]
Its population decreased to roughly 200, allMuslims, by the late Ottoman era when French explorerVictor Guérin visited in 1870. The houses were made ofbasalt and there was a plantation of figs. An Islamic shrine stood on a nearby hill, with blocks of basalt apparently carved by hand.[11] At that time, Taytaba's inhabitants cultivated gardens to the west of the village site.[5][12]
A population list from about 1887 showedTeitaba to have about 455 inhabitants; all Muslims.[13]
During theBritish Mandatory period in the early 20th-century, the houses of the village were built from stone and adobe brick. The inhabitants main source of income and sustenance was from agriculture.[5]Amosque and a boys' elementary school (the latter was built during the British period) was located in the southern section of Taytaba.[14]
In the1922 census of PalestineTaitaba had a population of 269; allMuslim,[15] increasing in the1931 census to 364, still all Muslims, in a total of 60 houses.[16]
In the1945 statistics, its population was 530 Muslims,[4] with a total of 8,453dunams of land.[3] 585dunams were cultivated for orchards and 5,175 dunams for cereals; a total of 5,763 dunams were cultivable,[17] while the built-up areas of the village amounted to 61 dunams.[18]
In February 1948 Taytaba reportedly hosted Arab volunteers participating in the1948 Arab-Israeli War according to theNew York Times. The newspaper stated that on 18 February aBritish Army patrol approaching Taytaba was attacked by Arab fighters prompting the dispatch of British reinforcements. British forces eventually withdrew and no casualties were reported. On 15 February a unit from theHaganah (precursor to theIsraeli Army) attacked Taytaba following a mass killing they committed at the nearby Palestinian-Arab village ofSa'sa'. No details of the attack on Taytaba were mentioned theAssociated Press report.[14]
It is not known exactly when Taytaba was captured by Israel or emptied of its residents, but most likely fell in May during the later stages of the Israeli offensiveOperation Yiftach. According to Palestinian historianWalid Khalidi, as such its residents probably evacuated or were expelled between the capture of Safad on 11 May or the end of the operation on 25 May. The Palestinian historian Nafez Nazzal contends that most of Taytaba's inhabitants left the village in early May as a result of themassacre atEin al-Zeitun.[14][1][19] Following the news of the massacre, many families fled to temporarily camp in the fields between the village and nearbyRas al-Ahmar. However, armed men remained in Taytaba until retreating after Jewish forces attacked in October.[20]
In 1992 Khalidi noted about Taytaba: "The village site contains the stone rubble of razed houses. A few olive trees still stand, growing among the thorny plants and grass. Part of the surrounding land is used by the settlement ofDalton for agriculture and pastures; other parts are wooded."[14]
To the east of Taytaba lies the ruins (khirba) of al-Tasarif.[14]
