Historical Background

There is no exact dating for the beginning of the human settlements in Tulkarm City. Archeological findings reveal that an agglomeration has existed there at least since the Roman period. It is believed that Tulkarm City was built on the ruins of the Roman village "Birat Soreqa", which means the well of the Mukhtar's vine. Another explanation suggests that the name originated from the Aramaic word tur karma (Vineyard Hill). This name was used by the Samaritan inhabitants of the Middle Ages and by the Crusaders. The Islamic sources, based on Far'oun documents, show that early civilization was established in Tulkarm at the time of Canaanites. In the 13^th century and during the Mamluk's period, Daher Babers divided Tulkarm between two of his leaders. Ibn Khaldon reported that the famous Ajnadeen Islamic battle occurred in Tulkarm which was formerly known as Ajnadeen.

The Tulkarm district was established during the Ottoman period in 1892 and was called Bani Sa'ab district with Tulkarm City as its center. In 1910, the Tulkarm district consisted of 44 villages and two cities, Tulkarm and Qalqiliya. At the end of the British mandate, the Tulkarm district consisted of one city, Tulkarm City, and 70 villages including Qalqiliya.

Tulkarm strategic location between Nablus heights and coastal plains, gave the city a commercial and military importance. Added to this, the two railway lines, which passed through the city, made it an important commercial station. However, it had assumed the form of a small town that had been expanding with the increase in traffic passing through. This development came to a halt in the 1930's, with the construction of the Petah Tiqva-Hadera highway which bypasses the town in the west and as a result of the Arab-Israeli war in 1948 when thousands of Palestinians were forced to evacuate their cities and moved to Tulkarm as refugees. Tulkarm City was used as a base during the 1936-1939 Palestinian Revolution and by Iraqi soldiers during the 1967 war.

Historical Sites

Within Tulkarm City and its environs, tombs from the early Bronze Age and various ruins from the Roman Period such as, buildings foundations, cisterns, wine presses, rock-cut tombs, a mausoleum and a stone altar with Greek inscription were discovered.

Although Tulkarm City does not contain a lot of historical sites, there are several Khirbets nearby (historical sites):

Khirbet El Burj

1. Located nine kilometers west of Tulkarm, and known as Marj el 'At'oot Burj. It contains remains of an ancient tower, a pool and other ancient structures (Al-Dabbagh, 1991).

Khirbet Um Sour

1. A falsification for the word "Souran", the Roman village which was built there. Located around three kilometers southwest of Khirbet el Burj. It contains remains of a ruined fortress, structures, towers and water tanks (Al-Dabbagh, 1991).

Khirbet Burin

1. Located four kilometers west of Tulkarm. It is the site of an ancient castle "Yanouf". It contains remains of buildings, wine presses, cisterns and caves (Al-Dabbagh, 1991).

Qasr Bint Esh Shekh

1. Located seven kilometers southeast of Tulkarm. It contains ruins of Byzantine mausoleums (Al-Dabbagh, 1991).

Khirbet El Mudahdara

1. An ancient settlement ruins near Tulkarm-Qalqiliya road. Contains remains of a Crusader fortress and smaller buildings. Shards indicate occupation in Roman, Byzantine, and Mamluk periods are also found (Carta, 1993).

Khirbet Deiraban

1. Located on a hill seven kilometers southeast of Tulkarm. It contains remains of a structure from the early Arab Period (Carta, 1993).

Khirbet El Jauf

1. A hill located six kilometers northeast of Tulkarm. At its center and around there exists a large structure. On the slopes of the hill there are remains of buildings walls, stones, rock-cut caves and tombs. Shards indicate occupation in the Middle Bronze Age, Hellenistic and Roman periods and Middle Ages are found (Carta, 1993).

Khirbet El Quseir

1. Located 12 km northeast of Tulkarm . It contains remains of structures and an olive oil press. The remains indicate occupation in the Byzantine Period, Middle Ages and Ottoman Period (Carta, 1993).

Other historical sites within the Tulkarm district are:

A'llar

1. About 20 km northeast of Tulkarm. A nearby Khirbeh called "Khirbet Sama" contains walls, ruined columns, tombs, ancient historical stone pieces and rock-cut water tanks. The following Khirbet is located nearby:

Khirbet Beit Sama

1. A large settlement ruin located northwest of A'llar. Remains of buildings, columns, constructed well, rock-cut cisterns and tombs are found there. It was occupied from the Middle Bronze Age until the Ottoman Period particularly in the Middle Ages (Carta, 1993).

A'nabta

1. Around nine kilometers east of Tulkarm. It contains tombs and rock-cut cisterns, and within its proximity the following Khirbets are found:

Khirbet Neirbah

1. Contains remains of a fortress, caves and several tombs. During the years (1100-1118), king Baldaween I built a fortress on this site (Al-Dabbagh, 1991).

Khirbet Ez Zahran

1. It contains ruined walls, stones, rock-cut tombs and water canals (Al-Dabbagh, 1991).

A'ttil

1. Located seven kilometers northeast of Tulkarm city. It contains an ancient building with a tomb, column fragments, mosaic-paved floor, rock-cut tombs and water canals (Carta, 1993).

A'zoun

1. Located in the east of Qalqiliya at about 24 km of Tulkarm. Ruins of an ancient settlement from the Iron Age to Ottoman Period are found. A nearby historical site called Khirbet El Kharab is also found (Al-Dabbagh, 1991& Carta, 1993).

ala'a

1. BSeven kilometers northeast of Tulkarm. It served as a base for Palestinians during the 1936-1939 revolution. It contains a historical site called Khirbet Bajjorah in the northwest of the village (Al-Dabbagh, 1991& Carta, 1993).

Baqa Esh Sharqiya

1. Located 18 km northeast of Tulkarm City at about 100m above sea level. It contains remains of cisterns, column fragments and capitals (Al-Dabbagh, 1991& Carta, 1993).

Beit Leed

1. It contains several ancient structures including a rock-cut pool, tombs and cisterns. The following Khirbets are located nearby:

Beit Leed

1. In the south eastern part of Beit Leed. It contains ancient lamps, structures and a rock-cut cistern site (Al-Dabbagh, 1991).

Khirbet Qarqaf

1. Located northeast of the village. Remains of a fortress from the Persian Period are found there. Shards indicate occupation in the Early and Middle Bronze Age, Iron Age and Persian Period are found (Al-Dabbagh, 1991).

Khirbet Qarqaf

1. Located seven kilometers northeast of Tulkarm, known also as "Khirbet Husein". It contains ancient structures, a mill and rock-cut water tanks. A historical site called Khirbet Wasel is located in the village, where remains of buildings, cisterns, old stones and caves are found (Al-Dabbagh, 1991& Carta, 1993).

Eirtah

1. A Palestinian village about three kilometers south of Tulkarm. Khirbet Eirtah is located in the southern part of the village near Maqam En Nabi Y'acoub. It contains ancient structures, columns crowns, an olive oil press, tombs and a rock-cut pool (Al-Dabbagh, 1991).

Falama

1. Located six kilometers northeast of Qalqiliya. It contains rock-cut tombs. Within its proximity the following Khirbets are found:

Khirbet Qar'ash

1. in the northwest of the village.

Khirbet Yubic

1. located south of the village. It contains old foundations and a cistern (Al-Dabbagh, 1991).

Faro'un

1. A Palestinian village located three kilometers south of Tulkarm City. In the southeastern part of the village there is a historical site called Khirbet Nesf Ejbail (Al-Dabbagh, 1991).

Faro'un

1. Located three kilometers south of Qalqiliya. It contains walls, rock-cut tombs, water tanks and caves (Al-Dabbagh, 1991).

Faro'un

1. Located 20 km south of Tulkarm City. Two Khirbets are located near the village, these are:

Faro'un

1. in the western part of the village.

Faro'un

1. It contains ruins and water tanks (Al-Dabbagh, 1991).

Faro'un

1. A Palestinian village located five kilometers south of Qalqiliya. It is built on the Canaanite village called Jiljal. In the Roman Period it was known as Galgulis. It contains remains of a mosque and a pool from Mamluk, a large Arab Khan and a mosaic floor. A tomb attributed to Shams ed Din, one of Salah El Din's commanders, is found there. In the southern part of the village there is a historical site called Khirbet Barniqia (Al-Dabbagh, 1991& Carta, 1993).

Faro'un

1. Located southeast of Tulkarm. Khirbet Jaffa is located in the south western part of the village. It contains walls, a ruined dome and rock-cut tombs (Al-Dabbagh, 1991).

Faro'un

1. Located eight kilometers east of Tulkarm. It contains remains of buildings, water tanks and tombs excavated in the rocks (Al-Dabbagh, 1991).

Faro'un

1. Located three kilometers southwest of A'zoun. Within its proximity the following Khirbets are found:

Faro'un

1. Located in the northwest of the village. It contains walls, rock-cut cisterns and tombs.

Khirbet El-Kharab

1. Located in the northern part of the village.

Faro'un

1. Located northwest of the village. It contains walls and rock-cut water tanks.

Khirbet El-Zakor

1. It contains old stones and ruins.

Khirbet El-Dab'a

1. Located between Kafr Thulth and Habla (Al-Dabbagh, 1991).

Faro'un

1. Located 10 km northeast of Qalqiliya. Within its proximity there is a historical site called Khirbet Fahss, where there are ruins and old stones (Al-Dabbagh, 1991).

Faro'un

1. Located west of A'zoun. There are two historical sites within the village, Khirbet Basona and Khirbet O'rais where rock-cut tombs and caves are found (Al-Dabbagh, 1991).

Faro'un

1. Located 22 km northeast of Tulkarm. Khirbet A'freen is located in the north western part of the village and contains mosaic fragments. The following Khirbets are located nearby:

Faro'un

1. Located northwest of Qaffin. It contains remains of rocks, pottery and mosaics.

Khirbet Shamsin

1. Located south of Qaffin and contains remains of rocks and aqueducts stones (Al-Dabbagh, 1991).

Faro'un

1. Situated 16 km southwest of Tulkarm with an elevation of 75m above sea level. It was known as "Calecailea" in the Roman period. Within Qalqiliya, some flint implements were found indicating prehistoric habitation. There are many historical sites nearby Qalqiliya:

Mazar Suraqa and Benjamin site or Prophet Yameen site

1. Both are located in the western part of the city. They contain a well and a building from the Middle Ages (AL-Dabbagh, 1991).

Khirbet Sufin

1. Located in the eastern part of Qalqiliya. It contains remainders of rocks, caves, rock-cut tombs, water tanks and a mosaic-paved floor (AL-Dabbagh, 1991).

Khirbet Hanota

1. Located three km north of Qalqiliya, and contains tombs, aqueducts carved in the rock and shredded (AL-Dabbagh, 1991).

Khirbet el Basatin

1. A Ruin of a large farm from the Byzantine Period located eight kilometers east of Qalqiliya. It has remains of hewn stone walls enclosing a large structure and a large courtyard with rooms inside. At its center, a large structure and a complete olive oil press exist (Carta, 1993).

Khirbet Fureihiyya

1. A Ruin of a Byzantine mausoleum, located six kilometers southeast of Qalqiliya. Remains of an olive oil press and a rock-cut wine press are found (Carta, 1993).

Khirbet Ras et Tira

1. A Palestinian village located six kilometers southeast of Qalqiliya. It is built on the ruins of a settlement from the Roman and Byzantine Periods and the Middle Ages. Remains of many buildings and a complete olive oil press are found there (Carta, 1993).

Khirbet Tannura

1. A Byzantine ruin located 10 km southeast Qalqiliya. Remains of structures whose walls are preserved to a height of three meters and a plastered water pool are found (Carta, 1993).

Ramin

1. Located four kilometers southeast of A'nabta and 17 km east of Tulkarm . It is found on the summit of a high wall, on the ruins of an ancient settlement. Shards found there indicate occupation in the Iron Age, Persian, Roman, Byzantine, Medieval and Ottoman Periods (Al-Dabbagh, 1991& Carta, 1993).

Saffarin

1. Located 10 km southeast of Tulkarm City. Khirbet Samarh and Ras Abu El-Balat are found in the village (Al-Dabbagh, 1991).

Shoufa

1. Eight kilometers southeast of Tulkarm. Believed to be the site of Shiftan mentioned in Samarian Ostraca. Within its proximity the following Khirbets are found:

Beir El Adas

1. Located in the southern part of the village.

Khirbet El Nasarah

1. Located in the northeast of the village (Al-Dabbagh, 1991).

Khirbet Deir Eban

1. Located in the northern part of the village. It contains remains of foundations and water tanks (Al-Dabbagh, 1991).

Shuwaika

1. A Palestinian village located three kilometers north of Tulkarm. Within its proximity the following Khirbet is found:

Khirbet Shuwaikat er Ras

1. A large hill, located north of Shuweika village. Shards found indicate occupation from the Middle Bronze Age to the Middle Ages (Al-Dabbagh, 1991).

Zeita

1. Located 14 km northeast of Tulkarm, and contains columns, carved stones in the site of Sheik Sulaiman Mosque, tombs and a rock-cut press (Al-Dabbagh, 1991& Carta, 1993).

In addition to the above historical sites, the Tulkarm district has some other Khirbets and historical sites distributed in the district. These are: Ebajil, Beer El-Abad, Tel Mas'od, Tel El-Shaqaf, Khirbet Abi Bila, Khirbet Jamin, Khirbet El-Kharija, Khirbet Dar Srour, Khirbet El-Razaz, Khirbet El-Za'nia, Khirbet El-Qumqum, Khirbet Qisoma, Dair Srour, Khirbet Masa'da, Ras Abi Luqa, Daher Um El-Haia, Daher El-Manasef, Kafrsa, Kafier, Kludia and Minah Abi Zabora.