al-Bikai'a

al-Bikai'a also spelled al-Buqei'a (Arabic: البقيعة‎) is a Palestinian village cluster in the Tubas Governorate that includes the three hamlets of Khirbet al-'Atuf, al-Hadidiyah and al-Humsa. The area spans 29,250 dunams, most of which is covered by Khirbet al-'Atuf. It is situated on a flat plain surrounded by mountains and with an altitude of 50 meters above sea level. The total population of al-Bikai'a was 227 in 1997 and 1,850 in 2005.[1] According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, al-Hadidya had a population of 183 inhabitants.[2]

al-Bikai'a
Village Cluster
Arabic transcription(s)
• Arabic	البقيعة
• Latin	al-Buqei'a (official)
al-Bikai'a Location of al-Bikai'a within Palestine
Coordinates: 32°15′53.38″N 35°26′12.98″E
State	State of Palestine
Governorate	Tubas
Founded	1500 BCE
Government
• Type	Village Cluster (from 1996)
Area
• Total	29,250 dunams (29.5 km^2 or 11.4 sq mi)
Population  (2006)
• Total	1,850
• Density	63/km^2 (160/sq mi)

The Abu Bakr as-Sadiq Mosque is the only mosque in al-Bikai'a and is located in Khirbet al-'Atuf. There is one school, and one kindergarten. Most residents go to nearby Tammun for education. About 72.3% of the inhabitants are literate with women comprising nearly two-thirds of the literate population. Agriculture constitutes 95% of the labor force while the remaining 5% work in Israeli construction.[1]

History

Al-Bikai'a has been settled since the Ottoman era of rule in Palestine. The villages in the area were abandoned including one named al-Sakaif. Eventually Arabs from nearby Tammun, mainly the Bani Odeh and Bsharat families settled in the area. Khirbet al-'Atuf was named after 'Atif, an Ayyubid soldier who died during the Crusades and al-Hadidiya was named after its black soil.[1]

Government

Khirbet al-'Atuf is the only locality in the al-Bikai'a cluster that has a governing committee. It consists of four elected members and one paid employee. Its responsibilities include purchasing and distributing water to its residents, opening roads and providing electricity to the residents.

References

1. Al-Bikai'a Villages Profile Applied Research Institute - Jerusalem. February 2006.
2. Projected Mid -Year Population for Tubas District by Locality 2004- 2006 Archived 2008-04-24 at the Wayback Machine Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics.