al-Bikai'a

al-Bikai'a
Other transcription(s)
• Arabic	البقيعة
• Also spelled	al-Buqei'a (official)
al-Bikai'a Location of al-Bikai'a within the Palestinian Territories
Coordinates:
Governorate	Tubas
Founded	1500 BC
Government
• Type	Village Cluster (from 1996)
Area
• Jurisdiction	29,250 dunams (29.5 km2 or 11.4 sq mi)
Population (2006)
• Jurisdiction	1,850

al-Bikai'a also spelled al-Buqei'a (Arabic: البقيعة‎‎) is a Palestinian village cluster in the Tubas Governorate that includes the three hamlets of Khirbet al-'Atuf, al-Hadidiyah and al-Humsa. The area spans 29,250 dunams, most of which is covered by Khirbet al-'Atuf. It is situated on a flat plain surrounded by mountains and with an altitude of 50 meters above sea level. The total population of al-Bikai'a was 227 in 1997 and 1,850 in 2005. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, al-Hadidya had a population of 183 inhabitants.

The Abu Bakr as-Sadiq Mosque is the only mosque in al-Bikai'a and is located in Khirbet al-'Atuf. There is one school, and one kindergarten. Most residents go to nearby Tammun for education. About 72.3% of the inhabitants are literate with women comprising nearly two-thirds of the literate population. Agriculture constitutes 95% of the labor force while the remaining 5% work in Israeli construction.

History

Al-Bikai'a has been settled since the Ottoman era of rule in Palestine. The villages in the area were abandoned including one named al-Sakaif. Eventually Arabs from nearby Tammun, mainly the Bani Odeh and Bsharat families settled in the area. Khirbet al-'Atuf was named after 'Atif, an Ayyubid soldier who died during the Crusades and al-Hadidiya was named after its black soil.

Government

Khirbet al-'Atuf is the only locality in the al-Bikai'a cluster that has a governing committee. It consists of four elected members and one paid employee. Its responsibilities include purchasing and distributing water to its residents, opening roads and providing electricity to the residents.