Mi'ilya
Encyclopedia
Mi'ilya is an Arab
local council
in the western Galilee
in the North District
of Israel
. Its name during the Kingdom of Jerusalem
era in Galilee
was Castellum Regis. All of its inhabitants are Christians.
and Iron Age
, as well as Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Crusader, Mamluk and Ottoman periods.
The Arab geographer, Al-Dimashqi, noted the "fine castle", and that close it was a very pleasant valley, where musk-pears and large citrons were grown.
In 1596, Mi'ilya appeared in Ottoman tax registers as being in the Nahiya of Akka of the Liwa
of Safad. It had a population of 15 Muslim households and 2 Christian households and paid taxes on wheat, barley, olives, and goats or beehives.
In 1881 Mi'ilya was described as being a large and well-built village of stone, containing 450 Christians, surrounded by olive
s and arable land.
granted title to it to a certain John of Haifa and his heirs. In 1182, Baldwin IV granted it to his uncle, Jocelyn III. At this time it was called "The new castle in the mountains of Acre". By 1187, the castle fell to Saladin
. Later, in the early 1200, ownership passed to the Teutonic Knights
. However, the importance of the castle of Mi'ilya was by this time superseded by the Montfort Castle
.
, Mi'ilya had 138 occupied houses and a population of 553 Christians, 25 Muslims and 1 Druse. By 1945, this had increased to 790 Christians and 110 Muslims.
After the 1948 Arab-Israeli war
, Mi'ilya was incorporated into the newly established State of Israel. It was recognized as a local council in 1957.
Arab citizens of Israel
Arab citizens of Israel refers to citizens of Israel who are not Jewish, and whose cultural and linguistic heritage or ethnic identity is Arab....
local council
Local council (Israel)
Local councils are one of the three types of local government found in Israel, with the other two being cities and regional councils. As of 2003, there were 144 local councils in Israel, these being settlements which pass a minimum threshold enough to justify their operations as independent...
in the western Galilee
Galilee
Galilee , is a large region in northern Israel which overlaps with much of the administrative North District of the country. Traditionally divided into Upper Galilee , Lower Galilee , and Western Galilee , extending from Dan to the north, at the base of Mount Hermon, along Mount Lebanon to the...
in the North District
North District (Israel)
The Northern District is one of Israel's six administrative districts. The Northern District has a land area of 4,478 km², which increases to 4,638 km² when both land and water are included...
of Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. Its name during the Kingdom of Jerusalem
Kingdom of Jerusalem
The Kingdom of Jerusalem was a Catholic kingdom established in the Levant in 1099 after the First Crusade. The kingdom lasted nearly two hundred years, from 1099 until 1291 when the last remaining possession, Acre, was destroyed by the Mamluks, but its history is divided into two distinct periods....
era in Galilee
Galilee
Galilee , is a large region in northern Israel which overlaps with much of the administrative North District of the country. Traditionally divided into Upper Galilee , Lower Galilee , and Western Galilee , extending from Dan to the north, at the base of Mount Hermon, along Mount Lebanon to the...
was Castellum Regis. All of its inhabitants are Christians.
History
Archaeological excavations in Mi'ilya gives indication of inhabitation from the Late Bronze AgeBronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
and Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
, as well as Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Crusader, Mamluk and Ottoman periods.
The Arab geographer, Al-Dimashqi, noted the "fine castle", and that close it was a very pleasant valley, where musk-pears and large citrons were grown.
In 1596, Mi'ilya appeared in Ottoman tax registers as being in the Nahiya of Akka of the Liwa
Liwa (arabic)
Liwa or Liwa is an Arabic term meaning district, banner, or flag, a type of administrative division. It was interchangeable with the Turkish term "Sanjak" in the time of the Ottoman Empire. After the fall of the empire, the term was used in the Arab countries formerly under Ottoman rule...
of Safad. It had a population of 15 Muslim households and 2 Christian households and paid taxes on wheat, barley, olives, and goats or beehives.
In 1881 Mi'ilya was described as being a large and well-built village of stone, containing 450 Christians, surrounded by olive
Olive
The olive , Olea europaea), is a species of a small tree in the family Oleaceae, native to the coastal areas of the eastern Mediterranean Basin as well as northern Iran at the south end of the Caspian Sea.Its fruit, also called the olive, is of major agricultural importance in the...
s and arable land.
King's castle
The King's castle in Mi'ilya dates back at least to 1160, when King Baldwin III of JerusalemBaldwin III of Jerusalem
Baldwin III was king of Jerusalem from 1143 to 1163. He was the eldest son of Melisende and Fulk of Jerusalem, and the grandson of Baldwin II of Jerusalem.-Succession:...
granted title to it to a certain John of Haifa and his heirs. In 1182, Baldwin IV granted it to his uncle, Jocelyn III. At this time it was called "The new castle in the mountains of Acre". By 1187, the castle fell to Saladin
Saladin
Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn Yūsuf ibn Ayyūb , better known in the Western world as Saladin, was an Arabized Kurdish Muslim, who became the first Sultan of Egypt and Syria, and founded the Ayyubid dynasty. He led Muslim and Arab opposition to the Franks and other European Crusaders in the Levant...
. Later, in the early 1200, ownership passed to the Teutonic Knights
Teutonic Knights
The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem , commonly the Teutonic Order , is a German medieval military order, in modern times a purely religious Catholic order...
. However, the importance of the castle of Mi'ilya was by this time superseded by the Montfort Castle
Montfort Castle
Montfort is a ruined crusader castle in the Upper Galilee region in northern Israel, about 22 miles northeast of the city of Haifa and 10 miles south of the border with Lebanon....
.
Modern history
At the time of the 1931 census of Palestine1931 census of Palestine
The 1931 census of Palestine was the second census carried out by the authorities of the British Mandate of Palestine. It was carried out on 18 November 1931 under the direction of Major E. Mills. The first census had been conducted in 1922...
, Mi'ilya had 138 occupied houses and a population of 553 Christians, 25 Muslims and 1 Druse. By 1945, this had increased to 790 Christians and 110 Muslims.
After the 1948 Arab-Israeli war
1948 Arab-Israeli War
The 1948 Arab–Israeli War, known to Israelis as the War of Independence or War of Liberation The war commenced after the termination of the British Mandate for Palestine and the creation of an independent Israel at midnight on 14 May 1948 when, following a period of civil war, Arab armies invaded...
, Mi'ilya was incorporated into the newly established State of Israel. It was recognized as a local council in 1957.
External links
- Mi'ilya, statistics on land and population at Palestine Remembered