Kufr Khall

Kufr Khall, (also written Kufur Khall, Kufr Khal) (Arabic: كفرخل ), is a village in the north of Jordan, in the Jarash governorate.The origin of its name, is from Syriac "kafr" meaning the village or the country and from Arabic "khall" that means vinegar, or more generally, grape. So the words Kufr Khall stand for 'the village of grapes'. Effectively, Kufr Khall is still famous nowadays for its well-known grapes production.

Geography

Kufr Khall is located at the west of the main road connecting Jerash to Irbid. The village is built on three main hills; "Jabal Snad", "Jabal Ahed" and "al-Jabal al-Gharbi". Kufr Khall represents an important link between Ajloun Mountains and the large flat land of Houran.The total area of the village is estimated 250 km², of which 130 belonging to woodland areas.

History

Kufr Khall as a rural centre

Kufr Khall was no doubt an important rural centre since Roman domination of Jordan, and a complex of several tombs (discovered in 1981) clearly shows the importance of Kufr Khall in the Byzantine age. Umayyad and Abbasid presence in Kufr Khall is also witnessed by several ruins. Kufr Khall saw a moment of decline of its splendor in the 17^th century; anyway, important documents proof the presence of Kufr Khall as a rural community in the early Ottoman age. [Dr. Muhammad al-Bakheet, "Nahiat Bani al A'sar fil Qarn al Asher al Hijri", Derasat Magazine, Jordan University, Issue 7, 1988, p.150-239.]

Pre-Islamic era

A number of stone-made instruments were found at one kilometer of distance from the town, and labeled as Neolithic. There are oral narrations about the presence of an antique Roman church (called the white church) in the past. Mosaics were also found in different locations. The Roman dominion of the zone is visible in three different places: "al- Deyr", "Hattin" and in Kufr Khall itself.

Islamic era

Kufr Khall was conquered by Islamic Armies commanded by "Shurayhbil bin Hasnah" as a direct result of "Battle of Fahl" in 635 A.D.
Mameluke ceramics were found in several sectors of Kufr Khall, and diverse houses built by Mamelukes were rebuilt on the rising of the Ottoman dominion of the zone.

People

The main families are the Afarat divided into five principal groups: Bani Ahmed, Bani Muhammad,Bani Taha Mahasneh, anmd Nawasreh) and smaller tribes including Rasasy, Ga'adneh, Baytawy and others. No one extaclty knows the origins of nowadays residents or even the blood-relation between themselves its a matter of guessing and floks narrations from generation to another.

Economy

Kufr Khall is famous for its olive oil, and there is a seasonal fair (market) for the trading of this product. Other agricultural products are grapes, figs, apples and pomegranate.Several handcraft, cheese and traditional products are made also.

Social Life

Religion

The inhabitants are all Sunni Muslims, there are three principal mosques in Kufr Khall, an old, now restored, eastern mosque, a western mosque built in 1984 (al Hajj Abdallah Mosque) and a new mosque named Abu Bakr as- Siddiq.Two historical shrines (tombs of "Awlya'") are located in Kufr Khall.

Traditions

The traditions of Kufr Khall people are similar to the northern Jordanians. Must be mentioned: the "Sbu'yyeh" (food offered after a week of the burial to the dead's family), the" Madaleh" (welcoming people for three days after funeral and offering them coffee), the "Khamisyyah" (religious sacrifice of goats in spring), important religious festivities, such "Eid ul-Fitr", "Eid al Adha (al Eid al Kabir)" and "Al-Mawlidu N-Nabawi Sh-Sharif", have their rituals for the people of Kufr Khall. [Dr. Muhammad Mahasneh, "Kufr Khall Tareekh wa Hadara", Mu'tah University Press, 1997.]

Prince Hamzah Natural Reserve

The Prince Hamzah Natural Reserve consists of 40 hectares of natural forests. It is administered and managed by the Department of Natural Resources and Environment in Jordan University of Science and Technology.

The reserve was opened by Prince Hamzah bin Al Hussein on August 16, 2004. It harbors a large number of trees and animals, as the Palestine Oak, Aleppo Pine and the Greek Strawberry Tree. [ [http://www.just.edu.jo/natres/preserve/ Prince Hamzah Natural Reserve] ]

References