Biddya
Encyclopedia
Biddya is a Palestinian
town in the Salfit Governorate
, located 32 kilometers southwest of Nablus
and half that distance from Salfit
in the northern West Bank
. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics
(PCBS), Biddya had a population of 8,325 inhabitants in mid-year 2006. The town is governed by a municipal council of eleven members who each represent the prominent families of Biddya and select a mayor.
Biddya is situated on the western ridge of the central mountain range that runs north-south in the West Bank
. It has an elevation of 320 meters above sea level. The historical Nablus
-Jerusalem road is nearby. A shrine for a local holy man, Sheikh Hamdan is located in the town.
and Nabulsi soap
production — the town's main industries. The town mostly receives food products from subsistence farming or local grocery markets.
Prior to the beginning of the Second Intifada in the fall of 2000, many residents worked in neighboring towns and cities, especially in Nablus and Ramallah
, as well as for Israel
i employers. The main road traversing the village, Road #505 (previously part of the Trans-Samaria Highway
), was lined with many stores which served thousands of Israeli shoppers who would frequent the town each week including residents of the Israeli settlements passing through, as well as Israelis living in the Tel Aviv
area who were looking for products at low prices. Unemployment was about 20%, however since the Intifada that figure has risen to 78-90%. Besides farming, some inhabitants live off their savings and others receive aid from relatives abroad.
in Nablus or Bir Zeit University in Bir Zeit
. There are four mosque
s and a three health clinics in the town.
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...
town in the Salfit Governorate
Salfit Governorate
The Salfit Governorate is one of 16 Governorates of the Palestinian National Authority. It is located in the northwestern West Bank, bordered by the governorates of Ramallah and al-Bireh to the south, Nablus to the east and Qalqilya in the north as well as, Israel to the west. Its district capital...
, located 32 kilometers southwest of Nablus
Nablus
Nablus is a Palestinian city in the northern West Bank, approximately north of Jerusalem, with a population of 126,132. Located in a strategic position between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim, it is the capital of the Nablus Governorate and a Palestinian commercial and cultural center.Founded by the...
and half that distance from Salfit
Salfit
Salfit also spelled Salfeet is a Palestinian town in the central West Bank. Salfit is located at an altitude of in the central Samarian highlands adjacent to the Israeli settlement of Ariel. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the City had a population of 8,796 in 2007....
in the northern West Bank
West Bank
The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics
Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics
The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics is the statistical organization under the umbrella of the Palestinian Cabinet of the Palestinian National Authority....
(PCBS), Biddya had a population of 8,325 inhabitants in mid-year 2006. The town is governed by a municipal council of eleven members who each represent the prominent families of Biddya and select a mayor.
Biddya is situated on the western ridge of the central mountain range that runs north-south in the West Bank
West Bank
The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
. It has an elevation of 320 meters above sea level. The historical Nablus
Nablus
Nablus is a Palestinian city in the northern West Bank, approximately north of Jerusalem, with a population of 126,132. Located in a strategic position between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim, it is the capital of the Nablus Governorate and a Palestinian commercial and cultural center.Founded by the...
-Jerusalem road is nearby. A shrine for a local holy man, Sheikh Hamdan is located in the town.
Economy
Biddya depends primarily on olive groves for olive oilOlive oil
Olive oil is an oil obtained from the olive , a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin. It is commonly used in cooking, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and soaps and as a fuel for traditional oil lamps...
and Nabulsi soap
Nabulsi soap
Nabulsi soap is a type of castile soap produced only in Nablus in the West Bank, Palestine. An olive oil-based soap, it is made up of three primary ingredients: virgin olive oil, water, and a sodium compound...
production — the town's main industries. The town mostly receives food products from subsistence farming or local grocery markets.
Prior to the beginning of the Second Intifada in the fall of 2000, many residents worked in neighboring towns and cities, especially in Nablus and Ramallah
Ramallah
Ramallah is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank located 10 kilometers north of Jerusalem, adjacent to al-Bireh. It currently serves as the de facto administrative capital of the Palestinian National Authority...
, as well as for Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i employers. The main road traversing the village, Road #505 (previously part of the Trans-Samaria Highway
Highway 5 (Israel)
Highway 5, or the Trans-Samaria Highway , is one of Israel's main highways, connecting the Mediterranean coast immediately north of Tel Aviv with the central Sharon plain and eastwards to Ariel and other Israeli settlements in the northern West Bank, known under the biblical name Samaria.The name...
), was lined with many stores which served thousands of Israeli shoppers who would frequent the town each week including residents of the Israeli settlements passing through, as well as Israelis living in the Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
area who were looking for products at low prices. Unemployment was about 20%, however since the Intifada that figure has risen to 78-90%. Besides farming, some inhabitants live off their savings and others receive aid from relatives abroad.
Public institutions
Biddya has four schools — two for each gender and a private school. Most graduates from high school that attend college, enroll in an-Najah National UniversityAn-Najah National University
An-Najah National University is a Palestinian non-governmental public university governed by a board of Trustees. It is located in Nablus, in the northern West Bank. The university has over 16,500 students and 300 professors in 19 faculties...
in Nablus or Bir Zeit University in Bir Zeit
Bir Zeit
Birzeit is a Palestinian town near Ramallah in the central West Bank. Its population in the 2007 census was 4529...
. There are four mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
s and a three health clinics in the town.