Al-Tira (Ramla)
Encyclopedia
Al-Tira was a Palestinian
Arab
village in the District of Ramla
. It was depopulated during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War
on July 10, 1948 by the Alexandroni and Armored (Eighth) brigades under Operation Dani. It was located 12 km northeast of Ramla
. al-Tira was mostly destroyed with the exception of a few houses survived destruction.
along with the rest of Palestine
, and by 1596 it was a part of the nahiya ("subdistrict") of Ramla
, which was under the administration of the liwa
("district") of Gaza
. A village of 160, it paid taxes on wheat, barley, vineyards, fruit trees, beehives, and goats.
French scholar Victor Guérin
visited Tira in 1870, and he described the village as being made of adobe
, with 700 inhabitants. A decade later, The Survey of Western Palestine described it as: "A mud village of moderate size, with cactus hedges, situated at the edge of the plain, the hills rising behind; on the west, by the high road, is a good well, with remains of masonry."
In 1945 the village had a population of 1,290. An elementary school was founded in 1922, and by 1947-48 it had an enrollment of 110 boys and 22 girls.
al-'Umari Mosque was one of the notable landmarks.
Palestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
village in the District of Ramla
District of Ramla
The District of Ramle was an administrative sub-district, a division of the Lydda district of the British Mandate of Palestine. The sub-district's main city was Ramle. Its total population in 1944 was estimated at 123,490, of which 88,560 were Muslims; 29,420 were Jews; and 5,500 were Christians...
. It was depopulated during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War
1948 Arab-Israeli War
The 1948 Arab–Israeli War, known to Israelis as the War of Independence or War of Liberation The war commenced after the termination of the British Mandate for Palestine and the creation of an independent Israel at midnight on 14 May 1948 when, following a period of civil war, Arab armies invaded...
on July 10, 1948 by the Alexandroni and Armored (Eighth) brigades under Operation Dani. It was located 12 km northeast of Ramla
Ramla
Ramla , is a city in central Israel. The city is predominantly Jewish with a significant Arab minority. Ramla was founded circa 705–715 AD by the Umayyad Caliph Suleiman ibn Abed al-Malik after the Arab conquest of the region...
. al-Tira was mostly destroyed with the exception of a few houses survived destruction.
History
In 1517, Tira was incorporated into the Ottoman EmpireOttoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
along with the rest of Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
, and by 1596 it was a part of the nahiya ("subdistrict") of Ramla
Ramla
Ramla , is a city in central Israel. The city is predominantly Jewish with a significant Arab minority. Ramla was founded circa 705–715 AD by the Umayyad Caliph Suleiman ibn Abed al-Malik after the Arab conquest of the region...
, which was under the administration of the liwa
Liwa (arabic)
Liwa or Liwa is an Arabic term meaning district, banner, or flag, a type of administrative division. It was interchangeable with the Turkish term "Sanjak" in the time of the Ottoman Empire. After the fall of the empire, the term was used in the Arab countries formerly under Ottoman rule...
("district") of Gaza
Gaza
Gaza , also referred to as Gaza City, is a Palestinian city in the Gaza Strip, with a population of about 450,000, making it the largest city in the Palestinian territories.Inhabited since at least the 15th century BC,...
. A village of 160, it paid taxes on wheat, barley, vineyards, fruit trees, beehives, and goats.
French scholar Victor Guérin
Victor Guérin
Victor Guérin was a French intellectual, explorer and amateur archaeologist. He published books describing the geography, archeology and history of the areas he explored, which included Greece, Asia Minor, North Africa, Syria and Palestine.-Biography:From 1840, Guerin was a professor of rhetoric...
visited Tira in 1870, and he described the village as being made of adobe
Adobe
Adobe is a natural building material made from sand, clay, water, and some kind of fibrous or organic material , which the builders shape into bricks using frames and dry in the sun. Adobe buildings are similar to cob and mudbrick buildings. Adobe structures are extremely durable, and account for...
, with 700 inhabitants. A decade later, The Survey of Western Palestine described it as: "A mud village of moderate size, with cactus hedges, situated at the edge of the plain, the hills rising behind; on the west, by the high road, is a good well, with remains of masonry."
In 1945 the village had a population of 1,290. An elementary school was founded in 1922, and by 1947-48 it had an enrollment of 110 boys and 22 girls.
al-'Umari Mosque was one of the notable landmarks.