Al-Burayj
البريج' | |
---|---|
Etymology: The little tower [1] | |
Location within
Mandatory Palestine | |
Coordinates: 31°44′25″N 34°55′52″E / 31.74028°N 34.93111°E | |
Palestine grid | 143/127 |
Geopolitical entity | Mandatory Palestine |
Subdistrict | Jerusalem |
Date of depopulation | Not known [4] |
Area | |
• Total | 19,080 dunams (19.08 km2 or 7.37 sq mi) |
Population (1945) | |
• Total | 720 [2] [3] |
Current Localities | Sdot Micha [5] Sdot Micha Airbase [5] |
Al-Burayj or Bureij, lit. 'little tower', [6] was a Palestinian Arab village in the Jerusalem Subdistrict. It was depopulated during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War on October 19, 1948, during the first phase of Operation Ha-Har. The village was located 28.5 km west of Jerusalem.
In 1838 el-Bureij was noted as a Muslim village, located in er-Ramleh district. [7]
In 1863 Victor Guérin noted it as a village of 200 inhabitants. The Sheikh's house was described as "fairly large and fairly constructed"; the others, less so. Tobacco plantations were spread around. He also noted large ancient blocks, which, it was said, originated from Kh[irbet] Tibneh, just to the north. [8]
Socin found from an official Ottoman village list from about 1870 that buredsch had a population of 116 in a total of 41 houses, though that population count included men, only. It was further noted that it was located between Mughallis and Saydun. [6] Hartmann found that el-buredsch had 40 houses. [9]
In 1882, the PEF's Survey of Western Palestine (SWP) described El Bureij as: "A small village on high ground, having a high house or tower in the middle, from which it is named." [10]
In the 1922 census of Palestine conducted by the British Mandate authorities, Buraij had a population of 398; all Muslims, [11] increasing in the 1931 census to 621; 7 Christians and 614 Muslims, in a total of 132 houses. [12]
In the 1945 statistics, the village had a population of 720; 10 Christians and 710 Muslims, [2] with a total of 19,080 dunums of land. [3] Of this, 31 dunams were for citrus and bananas, 77 were for irrigable land or plantations, 9,426 for cereals, [13] while 14 dunams were built-up (urban) Arab land. [14]
Al-Burayj's had a mosque named al-'Umari Mosque, and it was also home to a Greek Orthodox monastery. [15]
During Operation Ha-Har, between the 19 and 24 October 1948, the Harel Brigade captured several villages, among them Bureij. The villagers fled, or were expelled eastwards. [16]
Following the war, the area was incorporated into the State of Israel. In 1955 the moshav of Sdot Micha was established on land that had belonged to al-Burayj, south of the village site. [5]
Large part of the village land is now a military base called Sdot Micha Airbase, which is inaccessible to the public. [5]
Al-Burayj
البريج' | |
---|---|
Etymology: The little tower [1] | |
Location within
Mandatory Palestine | |
Coordinates: 31°44′25″N 34°55′52″E / 31.74028°N 34.93111°E | |
Palestine grid | 143/127 |
Geopolitical entity | Mandatory Palestine |
Subdistrict | Jerusalem |
Date of depopulation | Not known [4] |
Area | |
• Total | 19,080 dunams (19.08 km2 or 7.37 sq mi) |
Population (1945) | |
• Total | 720 [2] [3] |
Current Localities | Sdot Micha [5] Sdot Micha Airbase [5] |
Al-Burayj or Bureij, lit. 'little tower', [6] was a Palestinian Arab village in the Jerusalem Subdistrict. It was depopulated during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War on October 19, 1948, during the first phase of Operation Ha-Har. The village was located 28.5 km west of Jerusalem.
In 1838 el-Bureij was noted as a Muslim village, located in er-Ramleh district. [7]
In 1863 Victor Guérin noted it as a village of 200 inhabitants. The Sheikh's house was described as "fairly large and fairly constructed"; the others, less so. Tobacco plantations were spread around. He also noted large ancient blocks, which, it was said, originated from Kh[irbet] Tibneh, just to the north. [8]
Socin found from an official Ottoman village list from about 1870 that buredsch had a population of 116 in a total of 41 houses, though that population count included men, only. It was further noted that it was located between Mughallis and Saydun. [6] Hartmann found that el-buredsch had 40 houses. [9]
In 1882, the PEF's Survey of Western Palestine (SWP) described El Bureij as: "A small village on high ground, having a high house or tower in the middle, from which it is named." [10]
In the 1922 census of Palestine conducted by the British Mandate authorities, Buraij had a population of 398; all Muslims, [11] increasing in the 1931 census to 621; 7 Christians and 614 Muslims, in a total of 132 houses. [12]
In the 1945 statistics, the village had a population of 720; 10 Christians and 710 Muslims, [2] with a total of 19,080 dunums of land. [3] Of this, 31 dunams were for citrus and bananas, 77 were for irrigable land or plantations, 9,426 for cereals, [13] while 14 dunams were built-up (urban) Arab land. [14]
Al-Burayj's had a mosque named al-'Umari Mosque, and it was also home to a Greek Orthodox monastery. [15]
During Operation Ha-Har, between the 19 and 24 October 1948, the Harel Brigade captured several villages, among them Bureij. The villagers fled, or were expelled eastwards. [16]
Following the war, the area was incorporated into the State of Israel. In 1955 the moshav of Sdot Micha was established on land that had belonged to al-Burayj, south of the village site. [5]
Large part of the village land is now a military base called Sdot Micha Airbase, which is inaccessible to the public. [5]