Nuris
Encyclopedia
Nuris was a Palestinian
Arab
village in the District of Jenin
. It was depopulated during the 1948 War
on May 29, 1948 under Operation Gideon
.
, built on both sides of a shallow wadi
. The Haifa-Samakh
railway-line passed northeast of the village. It was linked by dirt roads to the villages of Zir'in
and Al-Mazar
There were several springs north of Nuris, most importantly 'Ayn Jalut (or Jalud), which was one of the largest springs in Palestine.
as Nurith. Nearby, the Mamluks defeated the Mongols
in the Battle of 'Ayn Jalut.
In 1596, Nuris was a village in the Ottoman Empire
, nahiya (subdistrict) of Jinin
under the liwa'
(district) of Lajjun
, with a population of 88. It paid taxes on a number of products, including wheat
, barley
, olive
s, and goat
s and beehive
s.
The village was captured and burned by Napoleon's troops, after the Battle of Mount Tabor
in 1799.
In the early nineteenth century, British traveller James Silk Buckingham
noted that it was surrounded by olive-trees. Buckingham also remarked that there were several other settlements in sight, "all inhabited by Mohammedans
."
In the late 19th century, the village was described as being small, situated on rocky ground, much hidden between the hills, about 600 ft (182.9 m) above a valley. Nuris had an elementary school for boys which was founded under the Ottomans in 1888 and a mosque.
In 1921, the village reportedly had 38 tenant
families, and 224 people out of a total population of 364 (1922 census) cultivated 5,500 dunums out of a village area of 27,018. That year, the Sursock family
sold part of the land in Nuris. Some families decided to stay in Nuris after the sale and accepted land as compensation while some accepted monetary compensation and left the village. The inhabitants of the village who remained acquired a block of land for a period of six years and were offered to opportunity to purchase the land originally leased to them. They paid rental at 6% of the published sale offer on the land, but later, at the request of the farmers in Nuris, this was changed to one-fifth of the total yield in agricultural output of the land. After the original six year lease was up, reports in 1928 showed that no villagers had bought the land leased to them. In 1921, the average farmer cultivated 24 dunums, by 1929 this had drastically reduced to 4.4, although the population grew significantly. In 1931, Nuris had a population of 429 people and a recorded 106 houses were located in the village.
By 1945, Nuris had 570 inhabitants with 163 houses, although the area was much smaller than it had been before 1920, with an area of 6256 dunums. The inhabitants, were mainly employed in cereal farming, although some land was allocated to irrigation and growing olives.
headquarters ordered the destruction of "enemy bases at Al-Mazar
, Nuris and Zir'in
". Morris
notes that destroying the villages was "part and parcel" of the Haganah operations at this time, however, he also writes that Nuris was not finally depopulated until the end of May.
The Israeli settlement of Nurit
was later established on village land, northwest of the village site.
The Palestinian historian Walid Khalidi
described the village in 1992: "The site, overgrown with pine and oak trees, is strewn with piles of stones. Part of the surrounding land is fenced in and is used as a grazing area, while another part is cultivated. Cactuses and olive and fig trees grow near the site."
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 Jenin
District of Jenin
The District of Jenin was an administrative district, situated in the British Mandate of Palestine around the city of Jenin. After the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, the district disintegrated.-Depopulated settlements:...
. It was depopulated during the 1948 War
1948 War
The term 1948 War can refer to any of the following events:* 1948 Palestine war with :** its civil war period : the 1947-1948 Civil War in Mandatory Palestine** the regular war between Israel and neighbouring Arab states : the 1948 Arab-Israeli War...
on May 29, 1948 under Operation Gideon
Operation Gideon
Operation Gideon was a Haganah offensive launched in the closing days of the British Mandate in Palestine, as part of the 1947–1948 Civil War in Mandatory Palestine. Its objectives were to capture Beisan , clear the surrounding villages and bedouin camps and block one of the possible entry routes...
.
Location
Nuris was located 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) northeast of JeninJenin
Jenin is the largest town in the Northern West Bank, and the third largest city overall. It serves as the administrative center of the Jenin Governorate and is a major agricultural center for the surrounding towns. In 2007, the city had a population of 120,004 not including the adjacent refugee...
, built on both sides of a shallow wadi
Wadi
Wadi is the Arabic term traditionally referring to a valley. In some cases, it may refer to a dry riverbed that contains water only during times of heavy rain or simply an intermittent stream.-Variant names:...
. The Haifa-Samakh
Jezreel Valley railway
The Jezreel Valley railway, or simply the Valley railway refers to a historical railroad in Ottoman and British Palestine, which was part of the larger Hejaz railway and ran along the Jezreel Valley....
railway-line passed northeast of the village. It was linked by dirt roads to the villages of Zir'in
Zir'in
Zir'in was a Palestinian Arab village of over 1,400 in the Jezreel Valley, located north of Jenin. Identified as the Canaanite town of Yizre'el, it was known as Zir'in during Islamic rule, and was near the site of the Battle of Ain Jalut, in which the Mamluks halted Mongol expansion southward...
and Al-Mazar
Al-Mazar, Jenin
Al-Mazar was a Palestinian Arab village in the District of Jenin. Situated on Mount Gilboa, its history stretched back to the period of Mamluk rule over Palestine . An agricultural village, it was depopulated during the 1948 Palestine War, and incorporated into the newly established State of Israel...
There were several springs north of Nuris, most importantly 'Ayn Jalut (or Jalud), which was one of the largest springs in Palestine.
History
Nuris was located in the Jezreel Valley and was referred to by the CrusadersCrusaders
The Crusaders are a New Zealand professional rugby union team based in Christchurch that competes in the Super Rugby competition. They are the most successful team in Super Rugby history with seven titles...
as Nurith. Nearby, the Mamluks defeated the Mongols
Mongols
Mongols ) are a Central-East Asian ethnic group that lives mainly in the countries of Mongolia, China, and Russia. In China, ethnic Mongols can be found mainly in the central north region of China such as Inner Mongolia...
in the Battle of 'Ayn Jalut.
In 1596, Nuris was a village in the Ottoman Empire
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...
, nahiya (subdistrict) of Jinin
Jinín
Jinín is a village and municipality in Strakonice District in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic.The municipality covers an area of , and has a population of 185 ....
under 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 Lajjun
Lajjun
Lajjun was a Palestinian Arab village of nearly 1,300 people located northwest of Jenin. The village along with nearby Umm al-Fahm and seven hamlets, had a total land area of 77,242 dunams or , of which were built-up, while the rest was used for agricultural purposes...
, with a population of 88. It paid taxes on a number of products, including wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
, barley
Barley
Barley is a major cereal grain, a member of the grass family. It serves as a major animal fodder, as a base malt for beer and certain distilled beverages, and as a component of various health foods...
, olive
Olive
The olive , Olea europaea), is a species of a small tree in the family Oleaceae, native to the coastal areas of the eastern Mediterranean Basin as well as northern Iran at the south end of the Caspian Sea.Its fruit, also called the olive, is of major agricultural importance in the...
s, and goat
Goat
The domestic goat is a subspecies of goat domesticated from the wild goat of southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the Bovidae family and is closely related to the sheep as both are in the goat-antelope subfamily Caprinae. There are over three hundred distinct breeds of...
s and beehive
Beehive
A beehive is a structure in which bees live and raise their young.Beehive may also refer to:Buildings and locations:* Bee Hive, Alabama, a neighborhood in Alabama* Beehive , a wing of the New Zealand Parliament Buildings...
s.
The village was captured and burned by Napoleon's troops, after the Battle of Mount Tabor
Battle of Mount Tabor
The Battle of Mount Tabor, or Skirmish of Mount Tabor, opposed French forces under General Kleber to an Ottoman force led by the Pasha of Damascus on 16 April 1799. General Bonaparte was besieging Acre, and Damascus sent its army to relieve the siege...
in 1799.
In the early nineteenth century, British traveller James Silk Buckingham
James Silk Buckingham
James Silk Buckingham was an English author, journalist and traveller.He was born at Flushing near Falmouth, the son of a farmer, and had a limited education. His youth was spent at sea, and in 1797 he was captured by the French and held as a prisoner of war at Corunna...
noted that it was surrounded by olive-trees. Buckingham also remarked that there were several other settlements in sight, "all inhabited by Mohammedans
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
."
In the late 19th century, the village was described as being small, situated on rocky ground, much hidden between the hills, about 600 ft (182.9 m) above a valley. Nuris had an elementary school for boys which was founded under the Ottomans in 1888 and a mosque.
In 1921, the village reportedly had 38 tenant
Tenant farmer
A tenant farmer is one who resides on and farms land owned by a landlord. Tenant farming is an agricultural production system in which landowners contribute their land and often a measure of operating capital and management; while tenant farmers contribute their labor along with at times varying...
families, and 224 people out of a total population of 364 (1922 census) cultivated 5,500 dunums out of a village area of 27,018. That year, the Sursock family
Sursock family
Sursock is a Greek Orthodox, Lebanese family and one of Beirut's aristocratic families. The Sursock family made their money as traders. The Sursocks were also landowners and for many decades Lebanon's leading business family, joining forces with the Otis Elevator Company to manufacture elevators...
sold part of the land in Nuris. Some families decided to stay in Nuris after the sale and accepted land as compensation while some accepted monetary compensation and left the village. The inhabitants of the village who remained acquired a block of land for a period of six years and were offered to opportunity to purchase the land originally leased to them. They paid rental at 6% of the published sale offer on the land, but later, at the request of the farmers in Nuris, this was changed to one-fifth of the total yield in agricultural output of the land. After the original six year lease was up, reports in 1928 showed that no villagers had bought the land leased to them. In 1921, the average farmer cultivated 24 dunums, by 1929 this had drastically reduced to 4.4, although the population grew significantly. In 1931, Nuris had a population of 429 people and a recorded 106 houses were located in the village.
By 1945, Nuris had 570 inhabitants with 163 houses, although the area was much smaller than it had been before 1920, with an area of 6256 dunums. The inhabitants, were mainly employed in cereal farming, although some land was allocated to irrigation and growing olives.
1948, and aftermath
On 19 April 1948, PalmachPalmach
The Palmach was the elite fighting force of the Haganah, the underground army of the Yishuv during the period of the British Mandate of Palestine. The Palmach was established on May 15, 1941...
headquarters ordered the destruction of "enemy bases at Al-Mazar
Al-Mazar, Jenin
Al-Mazar was a Palestinian Arab village in the District of Jenin. Situated on Mount Gilboa, its history stretched back to the period of Mamluk rule over Palestine . An agricultural village, it was depopulated during the 1948 Palestine War, and incorporated into the newly established State of Israel...
, Nuris and Zir'in
Zir'in
Zir'in was a Palestinian Arab village of over 1,400 in the Jezreel Valley, located north of Jenin. Identified as the Canaanite town of Yizre'el, it was known as Zir'in during Islamic rule, and was near the site of the Battle of Ain Jalut, in which the Mamluks halted Mongol expansion southward...
". Morris
Benny Morris
Benny Morris is professor of History in the Middle East Studies department of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in the city of Be'er Sheva, Israel...
notes that destroying the villages was "part and parcel" of the Haganah operations at this time, however, he also writes that Nuris was not finally depopulated until the end of May.
The Israeli settlement of Nurit
Nurit
Nurit was a moshav on Gilboa Mountain in northern Israel. It belongs to the Gilboa Regional Council.The moshav was founded in 1950 by immigrants to Israel from Yemen. It is named after the nearby Arab village Nuris, which lies in the adjacent valley...
was later established on village land, northwest of the village site.
The Palestinian historian Walid Khalidi
Walid Khalidi
Walid Khalidi is an Oxford University-educated Palestinian historian who has written extensively on the Palestinian exodus. He is General Secretary and co-founder of the Institute for Palestine Studies, established in Beirut in December 1963 as an independent research and publishing center...
described the village in 1992: "The site, overgrown with pine and oak trees, is strewn with piles of stones. Part of the surrounding land is fenced in and is used as a grazing area, while another part is cultivated. Cactuses and olive and fig trees grow near the site."
External links
- Welcome To Nuris
- Nuris at Khalil Sakakini Cultural CenterKhalil Sakakini Cultural CenterKhalil Sakakini Cultural Center is an organization established in 1996. It is located at 4 Raja Street, Ramallah in the West Bank. The traditional manor that houses the centre was the former family home of Khalil Salem Salah, the mayor of Ramallah between 1947/1951, is now owned by the Palestinian...