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El-Bireh, Palestine
El-Bireh (Arabic: البيرة) is a Palestinian city adjacent to Ramallah in the central West Bank, 15 kilometers (9 mi) north of Jerusalem. It is situated on the central
ridge running through the West Bank and Israel and is 860 meters (2,821.5 ft) above sea level, covering an area of 22.4 square kilometers (8.6 sq mi). Its name
means “Water Well,” due to the existence of many wells and springs.
Because of its location El-Bireh served as an economic crossroad between the north and south, along the caravan route between Jerusalem and Nablus.
El-Bireh is the second largest center of Palestinian administration after Gaza. Besides the Governor’s headquarters, it also hosts a considerable number of
governmental, non-governmental, and private organizations. Due to its proximity with Ramallah, the towns form a single constituency for elections to the
Palestinian National Authority.
History
It is believed that the Caliph Umar Ibn al-Khattab visited the city upon his capture of Syria and Palestine from the Byzantine Empire. Saladin camped in the city
before he captured Jerusalem from the Crusaders. Stories tell us that Jesus passed through El-Bireh with his mother when he was a child. In that trip Priest
Hilana constructed a church whose remains can be seen in the city center today.
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Women at the fountain. El-Bireh, Palestine 1893
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Until 1917, the city served as a political and administrative center for the Ottoman Empire. On July 6, 1967, Israeli troops took control of the city during the
Six-Day War. In 1994, the civil administration of the city was turned over to the Palestinian National Authority under the Oslo Accords.
Lineage
The vast majority of today's al-Bireh inhabitants descent from a man named "Hussein"from Bani Umar tribe, who came to the area from Transjordan in late-16th
century, together with a close friend named "Rashed" from Haddadeen tribe. Hussein a Muslim peasant lived in El-Bireh, whereas his Christian friend Rashed (a
blacksmith) lived in Ramallah.
El-Bireh is comprised of five major clans: Dar Quraan, Dar Hamayyel, Dar Abed, Dar Al-Tawil, and Dar Koraakra.
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