Battir

This article is about the village. For other uses, see Betar (disambiguation).

Battir
Municipality type C
Arabic transcription(s)
 • Arabicبتير
 • LatinBateer (official)
Battir
Battir
Battir is located in State of Palestine
Battir
Battir
Location of Battir within Palestine
Battir is located in the West Bank
Battir
Battir
Battir (the West Bank)
Coordinates: 31°43′29″N 35°08′12″E / 31.72472°N 35.13667°E / 31.72472; 35.13667
Palestine grid163/126
Country Palestine
GovernorateBethlehem
Israeli DistrictJerusalem (nominally)
Israeli Regional CouncilMateh Yehuda (nominally)
Government
 • TypeMunicipality
 • Head of MunicipalityAkram Bader
Area
 • Total
7,419 dunams (7.4 km2 or 2.9 sq mi)
Population
 (2017)[1]
 • Total
4,696
 • Density630/km2 (1,600/sq mi)
Name meaningAfter ancient Betar[2][3]
Official namePalestine: Land of Olives and Vines — Cultural Landscape of Southern Jerusalem, Battir
TypeCultural
Criteriaiv, v
Designated2014 (38th session)
Reference no.1492
RegionArab States
EndangeredSince 2014

Battir (Arabic: بتير, Hebrew: ביתר) is a Palestinian village in the Bethlehem Governorate of the State of Palestine, in the West Bank, 6.4 km west of Bethlehem, and southwest of Jerusalem. In 2017, the village had a population of 4,696.[1]

Battir has long history that dates back to ancient times. Within its area is an archaeological site containing the remains of Beitar, the last stronghold of the Bar Kokhba revolt against the Roman Empire.[4][5][6][7] The village is particularly known for its ancient terraces and an irrigation system that dates back to the Roman period.[8] Due to this, In 2014, Battir was inscribed in the List of World Heritage Sites as a World Heritage Site in the State of Palestine, under the name Battir – Land of Olives and Vines — Cultural Landscape of Southern Jerusalem.[9]

Battir was inhabited during the Byzantine and Islamic periods, and in the Ottoman and British Mandate censuses its population was recorded as primarily Muslim. In former times, the city lay along the route from Jerusalem to Bayt Jibrin. Battir is situated just above the modern route of the Jaffa–Jerusalem railway, which served as the armistice line between Israel and Jordan from 1949 until the Six-Day War, when it was occupied by Israel. In 2007, Battir had a population of about 4,000.

  1. ^ a b Preliminary Results of the Population, Housing and Establishments Census, 2017 (PDF). Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) (Report). State of Palestine. February 2018. pp. 64–82. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  2. ^ Palmer, 1881, p. 292
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference D. Ussishkin 1993, pp. 66-97 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Ussishkin, David (1993). "Archaeological Soundings at Betar, Bar-Kochba's Last Stronghold". Tel Aviv. 20: 66–97.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference PEQ1907 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Carroll, W. D. (1923). "Bittîr and Its Archaeological Remains". The Annual of the American Schools of Oriental Research. 5: 77–103. doi:10.2307/3768521. ISSN 0066-0035.
  8. ^ "Mayassa hails heritage status for West Bank landscape". Gulf Times. 21 June 2014. Retrieved 3 March 2024.
  9. ^ Centre, UNESCO World Heritage. "Palestine: Land of Olives and Vines – Cultural Landscape of Southern Jerusalem, Battir". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 3 March 2024.