Huwwarah
Encyclopedia
Huwwarah also spelled Huwwara and Huwarrah, is a village in northern Jordan
. It is situated in the Governorate of Irbid
, and is one of many agricultural villages in the fertile mud plains of Hauran
. The mud plains of Hauran bridge the gap between the Golan Heights in the west and the Sham desert to the east. The southern part of Hauran is in North Jordan. Huwwarah if flanked by the ancient sites of Ramoth-Gilead (Ramtha, Jordan) in Gilead
to the east and Arabella
(Irbid) to the west. North, it is bordered by Sal and Bishra, and south and southeast it is bordered by Sareeh.
It has a population estimated around 15,000. The two major families (tribes or clans) in Huwarra are: the Gharaibeh
Family and Al Shatnawi Family. Other tribes/clans include: el Ghuzlan, el Haddad, el Karasneh (thought to be the original settlers of the village), el Lawabneh, el Shar' (or Shroo'), and el Tanash. Huwara is situated about 5 km to the East of Irbid
. It is famous for its rich soil (rust colored mud soil) and wheat crops.
's account of a relatively recent history of the area (the winter of 1810).
It is unknown when Huwwarah was permanently settled. Some of the older stone buildings in the village suggest the mid-19th century. However, mud houses must have existed long before that, based on the number of generations the elderly reported through oral tradition. It is expected that there lived at least 12 generations so far in Huwwarah, making the estimated date of settlement between 1700 and 1750 CE
(AD).
The village also contains numerous sites were some coins from Hellenistic or Roman
periods were found. Furthermore, there is an agricultural section of east of Huwwarah called Dhahr El Muqhur (roofs of the caves) which is apparently a necropolis to a nearby settlement that may have been the village itself. This makes perfect sense in view of the fact that Huwwarah is in the heart of the area that contained the Decapolis
union of ten famous trade town the most famous of which is Jerash
and Gadara (Um Qais).
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
. It is situated in the Governorate of Irbid
Irbid
Irbid , known in ancient times as Arabella or Arbela , is the capital and largest city of the Irbid Governorate. It also has the second largest metropolitan population in Jordan after Amman, with a population of around 660,000, and is located about 70 km north of Amman on the northern ridge of...
, and is one of many agricultural villages in the fertile mud plains of Hauran
Hauran
Hauran, , also spelled Hawran or Houran, is a volcanic plateau, a geographic area and a people located in southwestern Syria and extending into the northwestern corner of Jordan. It gets its name from the Aramaic Hawran, meaning "cave land." In geographic and geomorphic terms, its boundaries...
. The mud plains of Hauran bridge the gap between the Golan Heights in the west and the Sham desert to the east. The southern part of Hauran is in North Jordan. Huwwarah if flanked by the ancient sites of Ramoth-Gilead (Ramtha, Jordan) in Gilead
Gilead
In the Bible "Gilead" means hill of testimony or mound of witness, , a mountainous region east of the Jordan River, situated in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. It is also referred to by the Aramaic name Yegar-Sahadutha, which carries the same meaning as the Hebrew . From its mountainous character...
to the east and Arabella
Arabella
Arabella is a lyric comedy or opera in 3 acts by Richard Strauss to a German libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal, their sixth and last operatic collaboration. It was first performed on 1 July 1933, at the Dresden Sächsisches Staatstheater....
(Irbid) to the west. North, it is bordered by Sal and Bishra, and south and southeast it is bordered by Sareeh.
It has a population estimated around 15,000. The two major families (tribes or clans) in Huwarra are: the Gharaibeh
Gharaibeh
The Gharaibeh is one of the tribes of the northern parts of Jordan.- Ancestry :The Gharaibeh clan is part of the peasantry of the Mud Plains of Houran. The peasantry, Fallaheen, of Houran are usually referred to as Houranies or Hawarneh. They are of the Jordanian side of Houran which used to be...
Family and Al Shatnawi Family. Other tribes/clans include: el Ghuzlan, el Haddad, el Karasneh (thought to be the original settlers of the village), el Lawabneh, el Shar' (or Shroo'), and el Tanash. Huwara is situated about 5 km to the East of Irbid
Irbid
Irbid , known in ancient times as Arabella or Arbela , is the capital and largest city of the Irbid Governorate. It also has the second largest metropolitan population in Jordan after Amman, with a population of around 660,000, and is located about 70 km north of Amman on the northern ridge of...
. It is famous for its rich soil (rust colored mud soil) and wheat crops.
Geography
Huwwarah is in North Jordan. It is part of the Mud Plains of Houran. The Houran lies west of Jabal ed Druze and stretches from the outskirts of Southern Damascus to the Zarqa River in Jordan. It is part of Bilad esh Sham.History
The history of Huwwarah is part of the history of Houran. See http://etext.library.adelaide.edu.au/b/burckhardt/john_lewis/syria/chapter2.html for Johann Ludwig BurckhardtJohann Ludwig Burckhardt
Johann Ludwig Burckhardt was a Swiss traveller and orientalist. He wrote his letters in French and signed Louis...
's account of a relatively recent history of the area (the winter of 1810).
It is unknown when Huwwarah was permanently settled. Some of the older stone buildings in the village suggest the mid-19th century. However, mud houses must have existed long before that, based on the number of generations the elderly reported through oral tradition. It is expected that there lived at least 12 generations so far in Huwwarah, making the estimated date of settlement between 1700 and 1750 CE
Common Era
Common Era ,abbreviated as CE, is an alternative designation for the calendar era originally introduced by Dionysius Exiguus in the 6th century, traditionally identified with Anno Domini .Dates before the year 1 CE are indicated by the usage of BCE, short for Before the Common Era Common Era...
(AD).
The village also contains numerous sites were some coins from Hellenistic or Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
periods were found. Furthermore, there is an agricultural section of east of Huwwarah called Dhahr El Muqhur (roofs of the caves) which is apparently a necropolis to a nearby settlement that may have been the village itself. This makes perfect sense in view of the fact that Huwwarah is in the heart of the area that contained the Decapolis
Decapolis
The Decapolis was a group of ten cities on the eastern frontier of the Roman Empire in Judea and Syria. The ten cities were not an official league or political unit, but they were grouped together because of their language, culture, location, and political status...
union of ten famous trade town the most famous of which is Jerash
Jerash
Jerash, the Gerasa of Antiquity, is the capital and largest city of Jerash Governorate , which is situated in the north of Jordan, north of the capital Amman towards Syria...
and Gadara (Um Qais).