Safsaf
Encyclopedia
Safsaf was a Palestinian
village located 9 kilometres northwest of Safed
, present day Israel
. Its villagers fled to Lebanon
after the Safsaf massacre
in October 1948, during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war
.
as "As-Safsaf (The Willow-Tree), a district of the Thughur (or Frontier Fortresses) of Al-Massissah. It was harried in 950 CE by Sayf al-Daula
."
In the early sixteenth century CE, Safsaf was incorporated into the Ottoman Empire
, and by 1596, it was a village in the nahiya ("subdistrict") of Jira, part of Sanjak
Safad. It had a population of 138, and it paid taxes on several agricultural items including wheat, barley, olives and fruits, as well as other types of produce, such as beehives and goats.
In the late nineteenth century, travellers reported that Safsaf was a small village situated on a plain, with a population of about 100. They also noted that "ornamented stones of a preexisting public building" had been built into the doorway of the village mosque
. The villagers cultivated olive and fig trees and vineyards.
Safsaf became a part of the British Mandate of Palestine in 1922. During this time the village lay on the eastern side of the Safad-Tarshiha highway and extended in a northeast-southwest direction. All the residents of Safsaf were Muslim
s. A mosque and several shops were located in the village center, and an elementary school was established during this period. Agriculture was the main economic activity, and it was both irrigated from springs and rainfed. Fruits and olives were cultivated on the land north of the village. In 1944/45 a total of 2,586 dunums were allotted to cereals; 769 dunums were irrigated or used for orchards.
On October 29, 1948, Israel
i forces assaulted the village as part of Operation Hiram
. After the villagers surrendered, some 50-70 men were massacred while bound and a number of women were raped.
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...
village located 9 kilometres northwest of Safed
Safed
Safed , is a city in the Northern District of Israel. Located at an elevation of , Safed is the highest city in the Galilee and of Israel. Due to its high elevation, Safed experiences warm summers and cold, often snowy, winters...
, present day Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. Its villagers fled to Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
after the Safsaf massacre
Safsaf massacre
The Safsaf massacre occurred on October 29, 1948, when the Israel Defense Forces captured the Palestinian Arab village of Safsaf in the Galilee...
in October 1948, during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war
1948 Arab-Israeli War
The 1948 Arab–Israeli War, known to Israelis as the War of Independence or War of Liberation The war commenced after the termination of the British Mandate for Palestine and the creation of an independent Israel at midnight on 14 May 1948 when, following a period of civil war, Arab armies invaded...
.
History
The village was called Safsofa in Roman times. The place is mentioned by Yaqut al-HamawiYaqut al-Hamawi
Yāqūt ibn-'Abdullah al-Rūmī al-Hamawī) was an Islamic biographer and geographer renowned for his encyclopedic writings on the Muslim world. "al-Rumi" refers to his Greek descent; "al-Hamawi" means that he is from Hama, Syria, and ibn-Abdullah is a reference to his father's name, Abdullah...
as "As-Safsaf (The Willow-Tree), a district of the Thughur (or Frontier Fortresses) of Al-Massissah. It was harried in 950 CE by Sayf al-Daula
Sayf al-Daula
Ali ibn Abi al-Hayja 'Abd Allah ibn Hamdan ibn al-Harith Sayf al-Dawla al-Taghlibi , more commonly known simply by his laqab of Sayf al-Dawla , was the ruler of northern Syria and the brother of al-Hasan ibn Hamdan , the founder and the most prominent prince of the Arab Hamdanid dynasty from...
."
In the early sixteenth century CE, Safsaf was incorporated into the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
, and by 1596, it was a village in the nahiya ("subdistrict") of Jira, part of Sanjak
Sanjak
Sanjaks were administrative divisions of the Ottoman Empire. Sanjak, and the variant spellings sandjak, sanjaq, and sinjaq, are English transliterations of the Turkish word sancak, meaning district, banner, or flag...
Safad. It had a population of 138, and it paid taxes on several agricultural items including wheat, barley, olives and fruits, as well as other types of produce, such as beehives and goats.
In the late nineteenth century, travellers reported that Safsaf was a small village situated on a plain, with a population of about 100. They also noted that "ornamented stones of a preexisting public building" had been built into the doorway of the village 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...
. The villagers cultivated olive and fig trees and vineyards.
Safsaf became a part of the British Mandate of Palestine in 1922. During this time the village lay on the eastern side of the Safad-Tarshiha highway and extended in a northeast-southwest direction. All the residents of Safsaf were Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
s. A mosque and several shops were located in the village center, and an elementary school was established during this period. Agriculture was the main economic activity, and it was both irrigated from springs and rainfed. Fruits and olives were cultivated on the land north of the village. In 1944/45 a total of 2,586 dunums were allotted to cereals; 769 dunums were irrigated or used for orchards.
On October 29, 1948, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i forces assaulted the village as part of Operation Hiram
Operation Hiram
Operation Hiram was a military operation conducted by the Israel Defense Forces during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. It was led by General Moshe Carmel, and aimed at capturing the upper Galilee region from the Arab Liberation Army forces led by Fawzi al-Qawuqji and a Syrian battalion...
. After the villagers surrendered, some 50-70 men were massacred while bound and a number of women were raped.
See also
- List of Arab towns and villages depopulated during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War
- List of massacres committed during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war
- Safsaf massacreSafsaf massacreThe Safsaf massacre occurred on October 29, 1948, when the Israel Defense Forces captured the Palestinian Arab village of Safsaf in the Galilee...
External links
- welcome to safsaf - Nidal Hamad
- Welcome to Safsaf
- Safsaf, from the Khalil Sakakini Cultural CenterKhalil Sakakini Cultural CenterKhalil Sakakini Cultural Center is an organization established in 1996. It is located at 4 Raja Street, Ramallah in the West Bank. The traditional manor that houses the centre was the former family home of Khalil Salem Salah, the mayor of Ramallah between 1947/1951, is now owned by the Palestinian...
- Safsaf photos, Dr. Moslih Kanaaneh
- Safsaf, Dr. Khalil Rizk.