Dura, Hebron
Encyclopedia
Dura is a Palestinian
town located eleven kilometers southwest of Hebron
in the Hebron Governorate
in the southern West Bank
. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics
, the town had a population of over 28,268 in 2007. The current mayor is Mustafa Khalil Rjoub.
ite word meaning house and not the Arabic
word for corn.
Its ancient name is Adoraim, and is mentioned in the Bible (2 Chronicles 11:9) as one of the cities fortified by Rehoboam.
The town was referred to as "Adora
" during the Hellenistic and Roman periods. Between the years 57 and 47 BCE, the region of ancient Palestine was divided into five districts, or synedria, with Adora likely serving as the capital of eastern Idumaea. After this, Idumaea became attached to the district of Judaea to the north, and the once heavily Hellenized city became predominantly Jewish. It seems to have remained so until the spread of Christianity in Palestine in the Byzantine period (beginning in the late fourth century CE).
For more information on the Biblical reference to Adora/Adurim/Adoraim see Adurim
.
In 1596, Dura appeared in Ottoman tax registers as being in the Nahiya of Khalil of the Liwa
of Quds. It had a population of 49 Muslim households and paid taxes on wheat, barley, olives, vines or fruit trees, and goats or beehives.
In 1883, the Survey of Western Palestine described Dura as "A large and nourishing village on the flat slope of a hill, with open ground on the east for about a mile. This plain is cultivated with corn. To the north of Dura are a few olives, and others on the south. The houses are of stone. South of the village are two Mukams with white domes; and on the west, higher than the village, is the tomb of Neby Nuh. Near these there are rock-cut sepulchres. The place is well supplied from three springs on the east and one on the south."
During the Ottoman period, Dura's inhabitants staged an uprising against the Egyptian Ibrahim Pasha
, who was rebelling against the legitimate Ottoman sultan. Similar uprisings occurred against the British Mandate and Dura was besieged by the British
for six months and was forced to pay fines.
The report of the 1931 census
wrote that "the village in the Hebron sub-district commonly known as Dura is a congeries of neighbouring localities each of which has a distinctive name; and, while Dura is a remarkable example of neighbourly agglutination, the phenomenon is not infrequent in other villages". The total of 70 locations listed in report was 1538 occupied houses and a population of 7255 Muslims.
Dura was established as a municipality
on January 1, 1967, five months before it was occupied by Israel during the Six-Day War
. After the Palestinian National Authority
was ceded control of the town in 1995, a local committee was set up to prevent land confiscation from the town and the municipal council was expanded. Many Palestinian ministries and governmental institutions opened offices in Dura, enhancing its role in Palestinian politics.
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 located eleven kilometers southwest of Hebron
Hebron
Hebron , is located in the southern West Bank, south of Jerusalem. Nestled in the Judean Mountains, it lies 930 meters above sea level. It is the largest city in the West Bank and home to around 165,000 Palestinians, and over 500 Jewish settlers concentrated in and around the old quarter...
in the Hebron Governorate
Hebron Governorate
The Hebron Governorate is an administrative district of the Palestinian National Authority in the southern West Bank. It extends south to, and includes most of, the Dead Sea....
in the southern 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....
, the town had a population of over 28,268 in 2007. The current mayor is Mustafa Khalil Rjoub.
Etymology
According to the municipality, the name "Dura" is derived from a CanaanCanaan
Canaan is a historical region roughly corresponding to modern-day Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, and the western parts of Jordan...
ite word meaning house and not the Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
word for corn.
Its ancient name is Adoraim, and is mentioned in the Bible (2 Chronicles 11:9) as one of the cities fortified by Rehoboam.
The town was referred to as "Adora
Adora
Adora may refer to:* Adora , a town mentioned in the Apocrypha* Adora, Har Hebron, an Israeli settlement on the West Bank* Adora , a novel by Bertrice Small* Princess Adora, a cartoon character from She-Ra: Princess of Power...
" during the Hellenistic and Roman periods. Between the years 57 and 47 BCE, the region of ancient Palestine was divided into five districts, or synedria, with Adora likely serving as the capital of eastern Idumaea. After this, Idumaea became attached to the district of Judaea to the north, and the once heavily Hellenized city became predominantly Jewish. It seems to have remained so until the spread of Christianity in Palestine in the Byzantine period (beginning in the late fourth century CE).
For more information on the Biblical reference to Adora/Adurim/Adoraim see Adurim
Adurim
Adurim is a town mentioned in the Bible and the Apocrypha and related information. This town is listed by different sources as Adurim, Adoraim and Adora.- Apocrypha and Biblical References :...
.
History
In the early Muslim period, Dura was famous for its vineyards and a type of raisin called Duri.In 1596, Dura appeared in Ottoman tax registers as being in the Nahiya of Khalil of the Liwa
Liwa (arabic)
Liwa or Liwa is an Arabic term meaning district, banner, or flag, a type of administrative division. It was interchangeable with the Turkish term "Sanjak" in the time of the Ottoman Empire. After the fall of the empire, the term was used in the Arab countries formerly under Ottoman rule...
of Quds. It had a population of 49 Muslim households and paid taxes on wheat, barley, olives, vines or fruit trees, and goats or beehives.
In 1883, the Survey of Western Palestine described Dura as "A large and nourishing village on the flat slope of a hill, with open ground on the east for about a mile. This plain is cultivated with corn. To the north of Dura are a few olives, and others on the south. The houses are of stone. South of the village are two Mukams with white domes; and on the west, higher than the village, is the tomb of Neby Nuh. Near these there are rock-cut sepulchres. The place is well supplied from three springs on the east and one on the south."
During the Ottoman period, Dura's inhabitants staged an uprising against the Egyptian Ibrahim Pasha
Ibrahim Pasha of Egypt
Ibrahim Pasha was the eldest son of Muhammad Ali, the Wāli and unrecognised Khedive of Egypt and Sudan. He served as a general in the Egyptian army that his father established during his reign, taking his first command of Egyptian forces was when he was merely a teenager...
, who was rebelling against the legitimate Ottoman sultan. Similar uprisings occurred against the British Mandate and Dura was besieged by the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
for six months and was forced to pay fines.
The report of the 1931 census
1931 census of Palestine
The 1931 census of Palestine was the second census carried out by the authorities of the British Mandate of Palestine. It was carried out on 18 November 1931 under the direction of Major E. Mills. The first census had been conducted in 1922...
wrote that "the village in the Hebron sub-district commonly known as Dura is a congeries of neighbouring localities each of which has a distinctive name; and, while Dura is a remarkable example of neighbourly agglutination, the phenomenon is not infrequent in other villages". The total of 70 locations listed in report was 1538 occupied houses and a population of 7255 Muslims.
Dura was established as a municipality
Municipality (Palestinian Authority)
In the territories administrated by the Palestinian Authority, a municipality is an administrative unit of local government similar to a city. They were established and decided after the creation of the Local Government Ministry of the Palestinian National Authority in 1994. All municipalities are...
on January 1, 1967, five months before it was occupied by Israel during the Six-Day War
Six-Day War
The Six-Day War , also known as the June War, 1967 Arab-Israeli War, or Third Arab-Israeli War, was fought between June 5 and 10, 1967, by Israel and the neighboring states of Egypt , Jordan, and Syria...
. After the Palestinian National Authority
Palestinian National Authority
The Palestinian Authority is the administrative organization established to govern parts of the West Bank and Gaza Strip...
was ceded control of the town in 1995, a local committee was set up to prevent land confiscation from the town and the municipal council was expanded. Many Palestinian ministries and governmental institutions opened offices in Dura, enhancing its role in Palestinian politics.
Climate
The climate of Dura is dry in the summers and experiences moderate precipitation during winter. Average annual precipitation depend on specific geographic locations within the town. The area of Dahr Alhadaba receives an annual average of 400–600 mm of rain, southern slopes 300–400 mm and the northern region of the Dura hills 250-300.Notable residents
- Khalid AmayrehKhalid AmayrehKhalid Amayreh is a Palestinian journalist based in Dura, near Hebron. Amayreh has experienced years of restrictions on his activities and travel, including imprisonment.-Life and work:...
– journalist; regular columnist for Al-Ahram - Nabil AmrNabil AmrNabil Amr is a former information minister in the Palestinian National Authority, and previous ambassador to Egypt. He was an outspoken critic of Yasir Arafat, especially regarding his behavior at the 2000 Camp David Summit....
, politician (born in Doura)
