The Village
The Hidden and Mysterious Nisf Jubeil
Nisf Jubeil
“Palestinian village in the central highlands appears from a distance as a cluster of boulders emerging out of a hilly landscape. It lies in harmony with its surroundings until it becomes an element of nature itself” — Suad Amiry.
Nisf Jubeil is no different, in fact it is more of an element of nature than the known Palestinian village. Nisf Jubeil, a small village located 17km northwest of the city of Nablus, is interlocked by mountains from its north, south and west – making it hidden to travelers in the area and a stronger element of nature. Nisf Jubeil is made up of the six basic components that form the village habitat of Palestine: the courtyard (al-hoash); the water spring (al-‘ein); the agricultural fields; the public plaza (sahet al-balad); the meeting hall; and the places of worship – in the case of Nisf Jubeil the mosque, and the three churches.
The name of the village is derived from its location and size. ‘Jubeil’ meaning small mountain in Arabic, and ‘Nisf’ meaning half – describing the location and expansion of the village – a village on half of the small mountain. In 1988 the village was only 28 donums in size, while its total land area is 5054 donums. Some residents believed it became Nisf Jubeil after the great flood and torrent in the early 20th century that destroyed half the village, referring to the ‘Nisf’.
The Ruler
We often hear stories of Palestinian City dwellers or villagers that moved to the city and ruled, but we never read detailed accounts of rural rulers or Sheikhs.
Abdel Hamid Mahmoud Daghlas, although not the average villager, was one of the ruling figures in the Palestinian area of Wadi Al-Sha’ir. Abdel Hamid ruled at a time that followed the Ottoman rule of Nablus, due to the continual revolutions that took place in Nablus and Jabal Nablus.
He wore the costume of the Sheikh (Zinnar and Shal), and had a watch in his pocket. He was the only one that had a watch in Nisf Jubeil. Mohammad, his youngest son, is presumed to have the most like-ness of his father.
Although his lineage is attested (more details below), it is known that Abdel Hamid was born and raised in Burqa, and only moved to Nisf Jubeil as an adult. He belonged to a family known as ‘Mahmoud Daghlas’ believed to be part of the clan known as ‘Al-Hofah’, which are believed to originally be part of the Otaibi family. His father Mahmoud was known to be the ruler, Mukhtar, and Sheikh of Burqa at the time – which automatically makes him the ruler and Sheikh of Wadi Al-Sha’ir. Burqa was known to be the capital of Wadi Al-Sha’ir in 1800, and became the capital of East Wadi Al-Sha’ir around 1860s.
Abdel Hamid’s Palace
Emerging out of the steep cliff in Nisf Jubeil is Abdel Hamid’s Palace. The Palace was built between 1890 and 1910 by an architect from Jifna. The building was used as the home of Abdel Hamid Mahmoud Daghlas – the Sheikh and ruler of Nisf Jubeil, Burqa, Jnisinya, Sebastiya and other surrounding villages along with his family. It was a building open 24/7 to serve the village and its guests, representing the source of prosperity for Nisf Jubeil: creating jobs, providing shelter, hosting guests, and ensuring stability.
Abdel Hamid was the last Sheikh for Nisf Jubeil, after which Israel occupied the area and ruled militarily. Abdel Hamid himself died in 1960. The sons and wives of Abdel Hamid, fled to Jordan, Kuwait and other countries that took in Palestinian refugees, while others remained in hiding in the vicinities of the village and neighboring villages.
