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Showing 41 - 60 from 65 entries
> Abortions in Palestine during the First Intifada
> The Hamdan Family in Anata
> ظاهرة المقهى الرياضي
> Sports Cafe: Sport culture, fruitful discussion...
> Extended Families of Beit Sahour
> Tribal Quarters at Bethlehem
> A romance in Beit Sahour
> Street Vendor
> Coffee Shop Owner
> Paper Salesman
> Maisa Khreimi: Working under the Shadow of the Wall
> Aida Bandak: Stories of the olive tree and lost land
> Seize the moment” - The Story of Nivine Sandouqa
> Susan Atallah: A Land of Testing
> Ismail Mukbil: A life story of patience and hope
> Ala Owaineh: Clinging to the tiny battered twig of hope
> Terry Boullata
> Maha Abu Dayyeh
> Hania Bitar
> Jizelle Salman
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Tribal quarters began to exist a long time ago after groups from the people of the country gathered together in housing complexes suitable to the conditions of their social life. Every quarter had a yard (guest-house) where the men of the quarter gathered together to discuss the affairs of their livelihood, their business and private matters. They spent the evening pleasantly chatting or listening to serial stories related by the old.
Every quarter had a sheikh (the quarter elder) who took care of their interests. These sheikhs gathered together, discussing many subjects such as the defense of the town against any aggression or injustice. For example, the Sheikh of the Khamasah tribe (A Muslim tribe who came from Wadi Musa in Trans-Jordan) was Very hostile to the people of the town, and even broke into some rooms in the Greek Orthodox Convent and resided in them. He started to impose his domination with arrogance, injustice and abuse. In response the sheikhs of the six Christian Quarters and the seventh Fawagrah Muslim Quarter united with their men to defend their honor and town. They planned an ambush on the wedding day of his three sons in the Church of the Nativity yard. They attacked and killed him, as well as some of his friends, while the others took to their heels and never returned. That was around the middle of the eighteenth century. The seven quarters were:
1- Al- Farahiyyah : They were called Farahiyyah after their grandfather Farah who came from Wadi Musa in the year A.D. 600.
2- An-Najajrah : They came from Najran in Al-Yaman the home of Christianity in the Arab Peninsula around A.D. 635.
3- Al- 'Anatrah : They came from Tal 'Antar to the south of the Palace of Herodus around A.D. 1700.
4- Al-Hraizat: They came from Urn Tuba, to the south of Jerusalem.
5- Al-Qawawsah : They came from Tekoa.
6- At-Tarajmah : They are the remnants of the Crusaders. They were called "Tarajmah" because of their work as interpreters.
7- Al-Fawagrah : They came from the village of Fagur to the south west of Solomon's Pools.
After that, conditions stabilized, and work and commerce increased. The population also increased; hence the Turkish Government enacted a constitution to regulate its authority in accordance with the needs of the people. It was deemed necessary to appoint quarter chiefs and local and municipal councils. First came the approval of the appointment of a "Mukhtar", a quarter chief for each one of the seven quarters, who would be "the best of his people". Every quarter chose its chief and submitted his name to the relevant authorities to be ratified and thus to allow him the use of his office seal.
His duties included caring for the interests of his quarter and town both socially and officially. He was the link between his quarter and the official authorities. He would be present if the police searched any house so as to protect the interests of the owner of the house. He was also in charge of identifying persons, particularly during the municipal and other elections.
Source: "Bethlehem, The Immortal Town" by Giries Elali
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