Birzeit

Bir Zait (Arabic بير زيت, DMG Bīr Zayt, locally pronounced Bīr Zet, also known as Bir Zeit transcribed ) is a town in the West Bank.

The town was known in Germany in the early 20th century fairy tale researchers and Orientalists by the after 1001 probably the most comprehensive Arabic fairy tale collection, the folk tales from Palestine, collected from the farmers of Bīr Zet (see literature). Today, he is, in particular by its nearby same university as a center of resistance against the Israeli occupation.

Name

The town's name means " oil tank " and in fact are the numerous olive trees in and around the village characteristic of the landscape. The original peasant population lived primarily from olives. However, should the toponym dating back to Roman name of the settlement that is preserved in Arabic sources as Berzethe. The current Arabic name could therefore also be a popular etymological reinterpretation of an original Latin name.

Geographical Location

The place is situated 765-815 meters above sea level in the already -mentioned biblical mountains of Ephraim, about 10 km north of Ramallah and about 25 km north of Jerusalem. Its neighboring towns are in the north Atara, in the west Dschifna and Siniya Ain, in the south Surda, Abu Qasch and the refugee camp Dschalazun, and in the west Abu Schuchaidim and Burham. On a clear day you can see from the Bir Zait located about 50 km west of Tel Aviv and the Mediterranean Sea.

Population

Bir Zait originally had a majority Christian, Arab population. The place was, however, never been purely Christian, such as its nearest neighbor Jifna, but has always had a Muslim Percentage: Four of the old-established families are Christian, two Muslim. 1931, Bir Zait 1233 inhabitants, of whom 871 Christians and 362 Muslims. In 1961, the population had grown to 3253 people, including 1424 Christians and 1829 Muslims. Today Bir Zait has nearly 6000 inhabitants. The proportion of Christians continues to decrease, as Christians, as a result of the occupation in far greater extent to leave the country as Muslims. There are two mosques in the village and three churches. By far the largest church with the most numerous community is the Latin ( = Roman Catholic ), after the Greek Orthodox and finally the Protestant.

History

Bir Zait already played in the 1948 war an important role, as the Palestinian leader Abd il -Qadir il - Husaini armed forces of the Palestinians stationed there. Even after the occupation in 1967 Bir Zait was always a center of Palestinian resistance. 1973 has been one of the most famous sons of the village, the Political Leader Kamal Nasir Butrus, killed in an Israeli commando raid. Especially during the first Intifada 1987-94 the site frequently hit the headlines, there went out numerous acts of civil and armed resistance from the nearby university.

University

The place is now mainly known for his eponymous university. The University of Bir Zait lies south, outside the village, on the road to Ramallah. She is considered one of the best in Palestine.

Famous people

• Sulaiman Mansur ( b. 1947 ), artist
• Sumayya Farhat Nasir ( born 1948 ), civil rights activist and peace activist
• Kamal Butrus Nasir (1924-1973), Political Leader
• Dschirius Yusif, a teacher at the Lutheran Day School on the Muristan and fairy tale collector.

References