Al-Zuq al-Tahtani

Al-Zuq al-Tahtani was a Palestinian Arab village in the Safad Subdistrict. It was depopulated during the 1947–1948 Civil War in Mandatory Palestine on May 11, 1948, by the Palmach's First Battalion of Operation Yiftach. It was located 30 km northeast of Safad.

Al-Zuq al-Tahtani
الزوق التحتاني
Village
Residents of al-Zuk al-Tahtani seen from a Palmach convoy. 1947.
Residents of al-Zuk al-Tahtani seen from a Palmach convoy. 1947.
Etymology: the lower Zuk (Zuk is a Syriac word meaning "town", or "village")[1]
1870s map
1940s map
modern map
1940s with modern overlay map
A series of historical maps of the area around Al-Zuq al-Tahtani (click the buttons)
Al-Zuq al-Tahtani is located in Mandatory Palestine
Al-Zuq al-Tahtani
Al-Zuq al-Tahtani
Location within Mandatory Palestine
Coordinates: 33°12′54″N 35°36′04″E
Palestine grid205/291
Geopolitical entityMandatory Palestine
SubdistrictSafad
Date of depopulationMay 11, 1948[2]
Area
 • Total11,634 dunams (11.634 km2 or 4.492 sq mi)
Population
 (1948)
 • Total1,050[3][4]
Cause(s) of depopulationInfluence of nearby town's fall
Current LocalitiesBeyt Hillel[5]

History

In 1875, Victor Guérin noted it south of Al-Zuq al-Fawqani, but with lesser important ruins.[6] In 1881, the PEF's Survey of Western Palestine described Zuk et Tahta: "Stone and mud village, with ruined Arab houses on north side, and a mill; contains about 100 Moslems; situated on the Huleh Plain; arable land around, and a large stream near".[7]

British Mandate era

In the 1931 census of Palestine, conducted by the British Mandate authorities, Al-Zuq al-Tahtani had a population of 626 Muslims, in a total of 137 houses.[8]

In the 1945 statistics, the village had a total population of 1,050 Muslims,[3] with a total of 11,634 dunams of land, according to an official land and population survey.[4] Of this, Arabs used 5,547 for plantations and irrigable land, 2,145 dunums were for cereals;[9] while a 39 dunams were classified as built-up, urban areas.[10]

1948, aftermath

It became depopulated on May 11, 1948,[2] in the aftermath of Operation Broom.[11]

In 1950 the re-established Beyt Hillel was expanded to include Al-Zuq al-Tahtani land.[5]

References
  1. Palmer, 1881, p. 38
  2. Morris, 2004, p. xvi, village #9. Also gives cause of depopulation.
  3. Department of Statistics, 1945, p. 11
  4. Government of Palestine, Department of Statistics. Village Statistics, April, 1945. Quoted in Hadawi, 1970, p.71 Archived 2011-06-04 at the Wayback Machine
  5. Khalidi, 1992, p. 510
  6. Guérin, 1880, p. 534
  7. Conder and Kitchener, 1881, SWP I, p. 90
  8. Mills, 1932, p. 111
  9. Government of Palestine, Department of Statistics. Village Statistics, April, 1945. Quoted in Hadawi, 1970, p. 121 Archived 2018-09-26 at the Wayback Machine
  10. Government of Palestine, Department of Statistics. Village Statistics, April, 1945. Quoted in Hadawi, 1970, p. 171 Archived 2018-09-26 at the Wayback Machine
  11. Morris, 2004, pp. 250-251

Bibliography
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