Druze Communities
At the beginning of the 20th century, most of the Druze villages in Palestine
were populated exclusively by Druze, thought since then a minority of
Christians and Muslims has emerged in some of them. These villages are located
in northern Israel, mainly on hilltops; historically as a defense against
attack and persecution.
„h The largest Druze village in Israel is Daliyat el-Carmel, located on Mt
Carmel in the heart of the Carmel National Park, southeast of Haifa.
Established some 400 years ago, Daliyat el-Carmel has a population of 15,000
Druze residents, who trace their ancestry to the hill country near Aleppo
(Halab). The large market in the center of the town boasting traditional Druze
and Arab products draws tourists from Israel and from abroad ¡V including
Baha¡¦i pilgrims in search of souvenirs.
„h Isfiya, also on Mt Carmel, was built on the ruins of a Byzantine settlement.
The modern village was founded in the early 18th century and presently some
9,000 people live there, with 70% being Druze.
„h Northeast of Haifa is the village of Shfar¡¦am, a settlement with important
ancient roots. Some 27,000 Druze, Christians and Muslims live there today.
„h Further north, overlooking Lake Tiberius, is the historical town of Maghar,
where some 17,000 people live - 60% Druze, with the remaining being equally
divided as Muslim and Christian.
„h The highly cultured village of Rama (population 7,000) north of Maghar, was
built on the site of the ancient biblical town of Ramot Naftali.
„h Nearby is the smaller Druze village of Sajur.
„h Located north of Rama, on the peak of Mt Meron, is the all-Druze village of
Beit Jan, with the population of 9,000.
„h Not far away is Peki¡¦in, one of the most ancient villages in the country,
which has a number of significant sites for Druze and Jews. The oldest Druze
school in the region was established in Peki¡¦in at the end of the 19th
century.
„h Ein el-Asad, the only all-Druze village founded in the 20th century, is
located nearby. The original residents came from Beit Jan and from Syria and
Lebanon.
„h Southwest of Peki¡¦in, is Kisra, the smallest Druze village in the country
in the 19th century. The village now has about 3,500 residents.
„h The nearby village of Yanuah has deep roots in the Bible. Next to the
village is the shrine of the Muslim prophet Shams.
„h The only all-Druze town in western Galilee, the historically important
Yirkih (Yirka), is most prosperous with well-established industries and a
population of 11,000 Druze (it had a population of 1000 in 1914). From Baha¡¦i
perspective, this village is of capital importance since ¡§for three months,
Baha¡¦u¡¦llah stayed there, in the home of Shaykh Marzuq. The sons of Shaykh
Marzuq, Shaykh Sa`id and Shaykh Salman, had shown great devotion to Him and
dealt with Baha¡¦is with utmost affection. They considered Baha¡¦u¡¦llah¡¦s
room during His sojourn as a sacred shrine, illuminating it each Friday night
with a candle. They never allowed anyone into that room, nor furnished it in
any way; and indeed considered it a sanctified spot. During these three months,
Baha¡¦u¡¦llah¡¦s tent was pitched in the hills of Yirkih.¡¨
„h Abu-Sinan, situated east of `Akka (and west of Yirkih), another large Druze
town, is mentioned in Crusader documents from the year 1250, as the fortress of
¡§Busnen.¡¨ Abu-Sinan became important during the reign of the Druze Emir
Fahru¡¦d-Din Mani, who built a palace there for his son Ali in 1617. Today
Abu-Sinan is home to about 10,000 persons - 35% Druze and the rest Christians
and Muslims. The tombs of the prophet Zechariah and Sheikh Hanbali are located
in the town. The following a pen-portrait of this village from 1914 left by Dr.
Mu¡¦ayyad:
¡§The village of Abu-Sinan was a hamlet on the eastern side of `Akka, situated
on a choice hill, with pleasant and vivifying air and water. The people
cultivated fig and olive trees and grew grapevines. The inhabitants were mostly
Druze, with a few Catholic or Jewish residents, all of whom were engaged in
farming. The Druze are mostly robust people adapted to mountain life. Though
their religious convictions are not known with any degree of certainty, they
consider themselves monotheistic; that is, they believed in a single,
all-powerful Omnipotent One Who revealed Himself through His manifestations.
[They traced their origin to] one of these manifestations, al-Hakim, the sixth
Caliph of the Fatimid dynasty [and believed that] at the end of time, when the
world was filled with tyranny and oppression and believers were surrounded by
repression and hardship, then, once more, al-Hakim would appear and establish
justice and equity throughout the world and his religion would then be
triumphant. They believed he would then reassemble the dispersed Druze tribe in
Syria and, when the standard of his faith is hoisted over Mecca and Jerusalem,
then he would bring the whole of the earth under his own rule and establish
justice throughout the realm.
¡§The Druze of Abu-Sinan had a particular affinity and attachment towards the
Shrine of Baha¡¦u¡¦llah and considered `Abdu¡¦l-Baha as one of God¡¦s chosen
ones. When one of them fell ill, they would circumambulate him around the
Shrine of Baha¡¦u¡¦llah and give the sick person some of the leftover food from
the Master¡¦s plate. They showed great consideration and attraction [to the
Baha¡¦is]. Since the old days, all their chiefs and shaykhs had profound
affection [for Baha¡¦is] because from the time of the Blessed Beauty, they had
only experienced love, sincerity and spirituality. With great devotion and
sincerity they sought the presence of the Master.¡¨
„h South of Abu Sinan is the tranquil village of Julis.
„h Druze have lived in Jat (pop. 8,000), a small village northeast of Abu
Sinan, since the 11th century.
„h The village of Hurfeish is situated on the road that runs east from the
coastal town of Nahariya.
„h With 8,000 residents, Majdal Shams, situated on foothills of Mt. Hermon, is
considered the center of the Druze community in the Golan, and is surrounded by
hundreds of orchards.
„h Most of the 3,000 inhabitants of Mas¡¦ada originate from Majdal Shams and is
presently a significant agricultural center.
„h South of Mas¡¦ada is the village of Buka¡¦ata; it was founded around 1900
and today has 5,000 residents.
„h Ein Kenya lies on the foothills of Mt Hermon, and today its 1,600
inhabitants are exclusively Druze.
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