al-Zahiriyya al-Tahta

Al-Zahiriyya al-Tahta was a Palestinian village built on a slope near the southwestern edge of the city of Safad, to which it was connected by several roads. The village lay in the basin that feeds the upper section of Wadi al-Laymoun, overlooking several smaller valleys and facing Mount Jarmaq. It was rich in springs and wells.

The first part of its name, "al-Zahiriyya", is believed to be in honor of Sultan al-Zahir Baybars (1233–1277) of the Mamluk era. The second part, "al-Tahta" (meaning "lower"), served to distinguish it from the adjacent village of al-Zahiriyya al-Fawqa ("the upper").

In 1596, the village was listed in the Ottoman tax records as part of the Nahiya of Jira in the Liwa' (District) of Safad, with 308 inhabitants. The villagers paid taxes on various agricultural and economic activities, including grazing land, goats, beehives, and a press used for olive or grape processing.

By the late 19th century, al-Zahiriyya al-Tahta was described as a stone-built village located at the foot of a hill, surrounded by olive groves and agricultural fields, with a population of around 100.

In modern times, the village was rectangular in layout, with tightly packed homes. Due to the steep terrain and ravines surrounding Wadi al-Laymoun, westward expansion was not feasible, so newer homes were built to the northwest of the older section. The population was mostly Muslim, and children were sent to schools in Safad. During the summer months, Arab al-Kharabneh, a Bedouin tribe, would pitch their tents to the west of the village.

The village had several olive presses, and olive trees covered approximately 145 dunums, especially in the eastern lands and the areas between the village and the southern outskirts of Safad. In 1944, 3,042 dunums were cultivated with cereals, and 810 dunums were irrigated or used for orchards.

Occupation and Ethnic Cleansing

The village fell shortly after the city of Safad, the district capital, was captured on May 10, 1948. A report by the Israeli military intelligence, prepared the following month, stated that the residents fled in fear of an imminent Jewish attack.

Additionally, a report from the Arab Liberation Army indicated that the village came under attack a few days earlier. On May 5, Fawzi al-Qawuqji, commander of the Arab Liberation Army, reported that Zahiriyya al-Tahta and Safad had come under assault the previous day but that the attack had been repelled by the Second Battalion of the Yarmouk Regiment.

These accounts are supported by eyewitness testimonies collected in later years. Some residents recalled that on May 1, following the attack on ‘Ayn al-Zaytoun, the elderly, women, and children were evacuated to the ‘Ayn al-Wuhush area, just south of the village. This left a village militia of 20–30 men to defend the area. When news arrived of Safad's fall on May 10, the militia withdrew to join their families. Some later moved to the nearby villages of al-Farradiyya (to the south) and al-Sammu’i (to the east).

According to survivor testimonies collected by Palestinian historian Nafez Nazzal, some villagers attempted to return to retrieve belongings but were killed by landmines planted by the Haganah.

The Village Today

The area has been completely transformed as part of the urban expansion of the city of Safad, which has absorbed the village lands. A road now cuts through the site, forming part of a residential neighborhood with newly built homes.

Nevertheless, scattered stone ruins from the destroyed houses remain visible, along with protruding iron beams from crumbling cement walls. The village cemetery is still identifiable, though significantly damaged. Almond and olive trees grow on the outskirts of the site.

Israeli Settlements on Village Lands

The site has been fully integrated into the southern neighborhoods of the Jewish town of Safad, established after 1948.

Source: All That Remains by Walid Khalidi.