Occupied Palestine: A Glimpse From History And Heritage
27 December 2017Qarawat Bani Hassan
Those visiting Qarawat Bani Hassan, a village located to west of Salfit, with
a population of three thousand people, think it has a heritage of several
hundred years. Yet, the truth is the historical monuments in the town are
dating back to previous eras, mostly the Byzantine and Roman eras, and the
subsequent eras, not to mention the Canaanite monuments.
The mayor of Qarawat Bani Hassan, Dr. Tamer Rayan, is proud of the arrival of
dozens of media and tourist delegations to the town to learn about its
landmarks. He says that this contributes to raising the status of the town,
which has done progress in the economic sector, in addition to its
contribution to the national level.
Limitations and effects
Rayan points out that the town embraces many old palaces of the Canaanite Era
in its scattered agricultural lands, which were used as guardhouses to guard
the vineyards and the olive pressing facilities. They were also used for the
fermentation of the grapes after pressing it, he said, also pointing to the
presence of Greek monuments, similar to the famous buildings of Petra, which
is a masterpiece of Greek art with columns, engravings, decorations and
stairs. There are also the castle and ruins of al-Firdous castle and hamlet,
he added.
The village hosts Roman ruins, including the tower, which is an old Roman
building with walls as wide as 3 to 4 meters. It also hosts a pool that is
located next to the Umari Mosque. The Nawamees, small graves, are scattered
everywhere and bodies are placed there. The Islamic shrines there include the
shrine of Amr ibn al-Aas, who conquered the town in 16 AH.
Caves and stories
In addition to the archaeological and heritage sites, there are caves, the
most famous of which is the cave of devils and, like many caves, myths and
stories about it emerge, and people think a wild porcupine sought refuge there
from a Palestinian farmer, after he followed him inside, to find the cave.
Another narration indicates that it was a refuge for hunted Palestinians, and
then after finding about it, its antiquities were stolen by thieves. Following
this, anyone who attempted to enter it would hear strange noises and voices.
The people of the town decided to protect it, naming it the cave of devils to
scare the thieves away.
Tourist attraction
According to Ma'in Rayyan, a resident of the town, the town is located on a
400- meter hill above the sea level, surrounded by hills and mountains from
all sides. It is surrounded by Deir Istiya and Kafel Hares from the east,
Bidia and Mesha from the west, and Sarta from the south.
He pointed out that media delegations, students and foreign tourists visit the
town to learn about its landmarks. He asserted that there is a need to
renovate and take care of these places and to protect them from thieves and
illegal excavations.
©
EsinIslam.Com
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