Jabalia (Arabic: جباليا), with a registered population of 103,646 inhabitants (as of June 302002), is the largest Palestinian refugee camp in existence. It is located at the northern end of the Gaza Strip, close to the Israeli border and a village with the same name. The camp only covers an area of 1.4 kmē making it one of the most densely populated places on earth.
The first Intifada in December1987 started in Jabalia and ever since, the camp has been the scene of much violence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
History and Archeology
Jabalia is known for its fertile soil and citrus trees. The Mamluk ruler Alam ad-Din Sangar al-Gawli ruled the area in the 1300’s and donated land for the Omeri Masjid that anchors the village. No extant structures from the ancient part of this mosque remain except the portico and minaret. The rest of the mosque is of modern construction. The portico consists of three arcades supported by four stone columns. The arcades have pointed arches and the portico is covered by crossing vaults. Recently, a cemetery dating to the Byzantine and Roman periods and a mosaic floor of a church dating to the Byzantine period were excavated. The floor is decorated with drawings of wild animals and birds, plants, trees and written scripts.
The name of the village Beit Lahia, located just north of Jabalia, is derived from the Syriac language words for “desert” or “fatigue”. The village is known for its fresh, sweet water, berries and citrus trees. It has an ancient hill and nearby abandoned village ruins. A mihrab, or mosque alcove indicating the direction of salaah (prayer), is all that remains of an ancient mosque to the west of Beit Lahia dating to the Ayubbi period of Saladin, and two other mosques dating to the Ottoman period.
Photo from Jabalia: [1] (http://www.un.org/unrwa/refugees/gaza/images/jabalia.jpg)
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