Kufr Khall
Encyclopedia
Kufr Khall, (Arabic: كفرخل ), is a town in the north of Jordan
, in the Jerash Governorate
.
The origin of its name, is from Syriac kafr meaning the village or the country and from Arabic khall that means vinegar, or more generally, grape. So the words Kufr Khall stand for 'the village of grapes'. Effectively, Kufr Khall is still famous nowadays for its well-known grapes production.
to Irbid
. The village is built on three main hills; Jabal Snad, Jabal Ahed and al-Jabal al-Gharbi. Kufr Khall represents an important link between Ajloun
Mountains and the large flat land of Houran.
The total area of the village is estimated 250 km², of which 130 belonging to woodland areas.
age. Umayyad
and Abbasid
presence in Kufr Khall is also witnessed by several ruins. Kufr Khall saw a moment of decline of its splendor in the 17th century; anyway, important documents proof the presence of Kufr Khall as a rural community in the early Ottoman
age.
. There are oral narrations about the presence of an antique Roman church (called the white church) in the past. Mosaics were also found in different locations. The Roman dominion of the zone is visible in three different places: al- Deyr, Hattin and in Kufr Khall itself.
in 635 A.D.
Mameluke
ceramics were found in several sectors of Kufr Khall, and diverse houses built by Mamelukes were rebuilt on the rising of the Ottoman
dominion of the zone.
Several handcraft, cheese and traditional products are made also.
as- Siddiq.
Two historical shrines (tombs of Awlya') are located in Kufr Khall.
, Eid al Adha (al Eid al Kabir) and Al-Mawlidu N-Nabawi Sh-Sharif, have their rituals for the people of Kufr Khall.
.
The reserve was opened by Prince Hamzah bin Al Hussein
on 16 August 2004. It harbors a large number of trees and animals, as the Palestine Oak
, Aleppo Pine
and the Greek Strawberry Treeits one of the best natural views around the village and they are a lot of farms around it that belongs to the locals like the one owned by mousa al abed which was developed and built in 1980.
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
, in the Jerash Governorate
Jerash Governorate
Jerash is one of the governorates of Jordan; it is located north of Amman, Jordan's capital. It carrys the name of its capital and largest city, Jerash City....
.
The origin of its name, is from Syriac kafr meaning the village or the country and from Arabic khall that means vinegar, or more generally, grape. So the words Kufr Khall stand for 'the village of grapes'. Effectively, Kufr Khall is still famous nowadays for its well-known grapes production.
Geography
Kufr Khall is located at the west of the main road connecting JerashJerash
Jerash, the Gerasa of Antiquity, is the capital and largest city of Jerash Governorate , which is situated in the north of Jordan, north of the capital Amman towards Syria...
to Irbid
Irbid
Irbid , known in ancient times as Arabella or Arbela , is the capital and largest city of the Irbid Governorate. It also has the second largest metropolitan population in Jordan after Amman, with a population of around 660,000, and is located about 70 km north of Amman on the northern ridge of...
. The village is built on three main hills; Jabal Snad, Jabal Ahed and al-Jabal al-Gharbi. Kufr Khall represents an important link between Ajloun
Ajloun
Ajloun also written Ajlun is the capital town of the Ajloun Governorate . A hilly town in the north of Jordan, located 76 kilometers north west of Amman. It is noted for its impressive ruins the 12th century castle which known nowadays as Ajlun Castle...
Mountains and the large flat land of Houran.
The total area of the village is estimated 250 km², of which 130 belonging to woodland areas.
Kufr Khall as a rural centre
Kufr Khall was no doubt an important rural centre since Roman domination of Jordan, and a complex of several tombs (discovered in 1981) clearly shows the importance of Kufr Khall in the ByzantineByzantine
Byzantine usually refers to the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages.Byzantine may also refer to:* A citizen of the Byzantine Empire, or native Greek during the Middle Ages...
age. Umayyad
Umayyad
The Umayyad Caliphate was the second of the four major Arab caliphates established after the death of Muhammad. It was ruled by the Umayyad dynasty, whose name derives from Umayya ibn Abd Shams, the great-grandfather of the first Umayyad caliph. Although the Umayyad family originally came from the...
and Abbasid
Abbasid
The Abbasid Caliphate or, more simply, the Abbasids , was the third of the Islamic caliphates. It was ruled by the Abbasid dynasty of caliphs, who built their capital in Baghdad after overthrowing the Umayyad caliphate from all but the al-Andalus region....
presence in Kufr Khall is also witnessed by several ruins. Kufr Khall saw a moment of decline of its splendor in the 17th century; anyway, important documents proof the presence of Kufr Khall as a rural community in the early Ottoman
Ottoman 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...
age.
Pre-Islamic era
A number of stone-made instruments were found at one kilometer of distance from the town, and labeled as NeolithicNeolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
. There are oral narrations about the presence of an antique Roman church (called the white church) in the past. Mosaics were also found in different locations. The Roman dominion of the zone is visible in three different places: al- Deyr, Hattin and in Kufr Khall itself.
Islamic era
Kufr Khall was conquered by Islamic Armies commanded by Shurayhbil bin Hasnah as a direct result of Battle of FahlBattle of Fahl
The Battle of Fahl or Battle of Pella was a Byzantine-Arab battle fought between the Rashidun army under Khalid ibn al-Walid Saifullah and the Roman Empire under Theodore the Sacellarius , in Fahl in January 635 AD...
in 635 A.D.
Mameluke
Mameluke
Mameluke was an American Thoroughbred race horse. Bred and raced by Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney, he was out of the mare, Schwester, and was sired by the 1936 Epsom Derby winner, Mahmoud who became the Leading sire in North America in 1946 and the Leading broodmare sire in North America in...
ceramics were found in several sectors of Kufr Khall, and diverse houses built by Mamelukes were rebuilt on the rising of the Ottoman
Ottoman 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...
dominion of the zone.
People
The main families are the Afarat divided into five principal groups: Bani Ahmed, Bani Muhammad, Bani Taha, Mahasneh, and Nawasreh) and smaller tribes including Rasasy, Ga'adneh, Baytawy and others. the majority of the people go back to souf and they are part of al otoom tribeEconomy
Kufr Khall is famous for its olive oil, and there is a seasonal fair (market) for the trading of this product. Other agricultural products are grapes, figs, apples and pomegranate.Several handcraft, cheese and traditional products are made also.
Religion
The inhabitants are all Sunni Muslims, there are three principal mosques in Kufr Khall, an old, now restored, eastern mosque, a western mosque built in 1984 (al Hajj Abdallah Mosque) and a new mosque named Abu BakrAbu Bakr
Abu Bakr was a senior companion and the father-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. He ruled over the Rashidun Caliphate from 632-634 CE when he became the first Muslim Caliph following Muhammad's death...
as- Siddiq.
Two historical shrines (tombs of Awlya') are located in Kufr Khall.
Traditions
The traditions of Kufr Khall people are similar to the northern Jordanians. Must be mentioned: the Sbu'yyeh (food offered after a week of the burial to the dead's family), the Madaleh (welcoming people for three days after funeral and offering them coffee), the Khamisyyah (religious sacrifice of goats in spring), important religious festivities, such Eid ul-FitrEid ul-Fitr
Eid ul-Fitr, Eid al-Fitr, Id-ul-Fitr, or Id al-Fitr , often abbreviated to Eid, is a Muslim holiday that marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting . Eid is an Arabic word meaning "festivity," while Fiṭr means "breaking the fast"...
, Eid al Adha (al Eid al Kabir) and Al-Mawlidu N-Nabawi Sh-Sharif, have their rituals for the people of Kufr Khall.
Prince Hamzah Natural Reserve
The Prince Hamzah Natural Reserve consists of 40 hectares of natural forests. It is administered and managed by the Department of Natural Resources and Environment in Jordan University of Science and TechnologyJordan University of Science and Technology
The Jordan University of Science and Technology , often abbreviated JUST, is a comprehensive, state-supported university located on the outskirts of Irbid at Ar Ramtha region, in northern Jordan....
.
The reserve was opened by Prince Hamzah bin Al Hussein
Prince Hamzah bin Al Hussein
Prince Hamzah bin Al Hussein of Jordan is the son of the late King Hussein of Jordan from his American-born fourth wife, Queen Noor al-Hussein. He was named Crown Prince of Jordan in 1999, a position he held until it was rescinded in 2004 by his half-brother, King Abdullah II of Jordan...
on 16 August 2004. It harbors a large number of trees and animals, as the Palestine Oak
Palestine Oak
Quercus calliprinos, the Palestine Oak, is an oak in the turkey oak section Quercus sect. Cerris. It is native to eastern Mediterranean region and southwest Asia, from northern Algeria and Turkey east across the Middle East.-Description:...
, Aleppo Pine
Aleppo Pine
Pinus halepensis, commonly known as the Aleppo Pine, is a pine native to the Mediterranean region. Their range extends from Morocco and Spain north to southern France, Italy and Croatia, and east to Greece and northern Tunisia, and Libya, with an outlying population in Syria, Lebanon, southern...
and the Greek Strawberry Treeits one of the best natural views around the village and they are a lot of farms around it that belongs to the locals like the one owned by mousa al abed which was developed and built in 1980.