Abu Dis is a Palestinian town located east of Jerusalem. It was a center for Saladin’s army. It was affected by the Israeli separation wall, which led to the confiscation of its lands, the separation of its parts, and the division between its residents.
The village includes many landmarks, most notably Al-Quds University, and it also contains many historical wells and caves.
the site
The village of Abu Dis is located in the eastern outskirts of Jerusalem, and its western borders are about 3 kilometers away from Al-Aqsa Mosque, at an altitude of 630 meters above sea level.
The total area of its lands is 28,232 dunams (one dunam is equal to one thousand square meters), of which the town’s buildings and houses occupy 1,411 dunams.
The separation wall separates it from the center of Jerusalem, so it is located within the West Bank and is part of the Jerusalem Governorate.
The village is surrounded by the lands of the villages of Khan al-Ahmar, Nabi Musa, Arab al-Sawahra, Sur Baher, Silwan, al-Tur, and al-Eizariya.
It was occupied by Israel in 1967 in the June War, and when the Oslo Accords were signed in 1993 between the Palestine Liberation Organization and the occupation authorities, Abu Dis was among the lands under the authority of the organization, and the Palestinian National Authority established a municipal council there.
the date
The town of Abu Dis is one of the villages that Saladin Ayyubi liberated before he liberated the city of Jerusalem in 1187 AD. It and the neighboring towns were the headquarters of his army and an advanced base for launching attacks on the Crusaders in the city of Jerusalem with the aim of liberating it.
Despite its proximity to the city of Jerusalem, the Israeli occupation separated it from it and annexed it to the Bethlehem District.
This separation was established after 1993, when the occupation began isolating Jerusalem from its vital surroundings and from the towns and villages affiliated with it by erecting checkpoints at their entrances.
The occupation separated the town of Abu Dis from the rest of the cities of the West Bank in order to create a new reality, even though a large part of the town’s area (the western and southwestern sides) is part of the so-called Jerusalem Municipality.
After 1967, Israel sought, through its settlement policy, to annex the largest possible area of land with the least possible number of residents to the Jerusalem Municipality, which is administered by the occupation authority.
A third of the lands of the town of Abu Dis are subject to the occupation municipality, and only a small percentage of its residents hold Israeli identity cards, not exceeding 2% of the town’s population.
After the construction of the Israeli wall began, the town’s residents were separated from each other, which led to the dispersion of families and the confiscation of more land for the benefit of the occupation municipality, estimated at 60 dunams, in addition to the seizure of two houses and a hotel.
Label
It is believed that the origin of the name Abu Dis is inspired by the Turkish language, as the word “Dis” is a Turkish word meaning “straw”. In the past, the villagers used to collect straw from the shores of the Dead Sea and the Jordan Valley, and make mats from it, because they were of better quality than those made from palm fronds.
Some believe that the name Abu Dis is derived from the Greek word “Deka” which means the number ten. Abu Dis was called “Umm al-Ashar Kharab”, referring to the village communities that make it up, some of which date back to centuries before Christ:
- Khirbet Abu Asaad.
- Khirbet Umm Jamal.
- Khirbet Al-Raghbani.
- Khirbet Al-Kharaib.
- Khirbet Abu Al-Thiran.
- Khirbet Abu Huwailan.
- Khirbet Umm Ubaid.
- Khirbet Abu Al-Sawan.
- Khirbet Al-Marass.
- Khirbet Sawana Salah.
Population
The population of Abu Dis village exceeded 14 thousand people according to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics for the year 2024. The “Khanafisa” clan is the most numerous clan in the village, and the Halabi clan, whose origins go back to Aleppo in northern Syria, while the “Al Jaber” or “Al Areqat” clan, their origins go back to the “Huwaitat” tribe in Jordan.
Most prominent figures
- Ahmed Qurei
Nicknamed Abu Alaa, he is a prominent figure in Palestinian politics, having served as Speaker of the Legislative Council since 1996 and was a key architect of the Oslo Accords.
Ahmed Qurei worked in the banking sector until 1968 before devoting himself to political work, and played an effective role in establishing many national institutions.
He succeeded Mahmoud Abbas as Palestinian Prime Minister in 2003, and led important negotiations with Israel, including the Wye River Agreement. He received several awards, and wrote economic studies, including “The Suspended Peace.”
- Kamel Arekat
A Jordanian politician and parliamentarian of Palestinian origin. He was the Speaker of the Jordanian House of Representatives and the President of the Jericho Merchants Syndicate in 1942. He died in 1984.
He participated in the Palestinian resistance movement led by Abdul Qader al-Husseini in the 1930s and 1940s, and joined the Holy Jihad Army between 1947-1949, then became the leader of the Palestinian Youth from 1945 until 1947.
He was elected as a member of the Jordanian House of Representatives in the 1950s. He received a number of medals, including: the Star of Palestine Medal in 1949, the Jordanian Independence Medal, Second Class, in 1958, a medal from Greece with the rank of Commodore in 1959, and a medal from the Greek Orthodox Patriarch with the rank of Knight in 1960.
Main landmarks
Abu Dis contains a number of caves dating back to different eras and used to shelter livestock. In addition to a large number of wells, most of which date back to the Roman era, including: Salah Well, Raghabneh Well, Zureiq Well, and Aqaba Well (Abu Safah Well).
And also the seven wells of Khirbet al-Marasas, the well of Abu al-Wahsh, the well of Badr, the well of al-Rahba, the well of al-Tahuna, the well of Ata, the well of Wadi Abu Hindi, the well of Sari, the well of Umm Khiar, and the well of al-Hayya.
One of its most prominent landmarks is the Mosque of Salah al-Din al-Ayyubi, one of the oldest mosques in the village and located on the edge of the main street in the middle of the town. It was built in 1351 AH, and contains a pulpit and remains of capitals and columns dating back to the Ayyubid period.
Abu Dis is an important center for Palestinian decision-making, as it includes branches and offices of a number of governmental institutions, including the headquarters of the Jerusalem Governorate, various ministries, and security agencies. In addition to civil society organizations and private companies such as the French water company GICA and the Jordanian Arab Model School.
Al-Quds University is one of its most important institutions that greatly influences the social, economic, cultural and developmental aspects of the country, and offers unique specializations and various academic degrees.
Israeli separation wall
The impact of the construction of the Israeli apartheid wall on the town. According to a statement issued by the Israeli Ministry of Defense in April 2007, the wall extends 8 kilometers along the lands of Abu Dis.
The wall separated the town from the city of Jerusalem on the western side, and confiscated 11,095 dunams of its land on the eastern side, isolating residential areas, agricultural lands, pastures, open areas, and other areas.
The wall built east of the town is part of the wall planned around the Ma’ale Adumim settlement bloc, which the occupation authorities are seeking to annex to become the new borders of the Jerusalem municipality, within the framework of the “Greater Jerusalem” project implemented by the occupation authorities on Palestinian lands.