Dayr al-Shaykh

The village had a rectangular layout and extended along a north–south axis. Several houses were built on both sides of the road leading to the main highway. According to Ottoman tax records from 1596, Deir al-Sheikh was part of the Jerusalem subdistrict (Nahiya of Jerusalem) and had 113 inhabitants. The villagers paid taxes on agricultural products such as wheat, barley, olives, and fruit, as well as on livestock, beehives, and vineyards.

In the early 1870s, the population was estimated at around 400 residents, but the village was abandoned by 1881—possibly due to a typhus outbreak in 1874. The village mosque, notable for its large domed structure, stood on the eastern edge of the village, while a rock-hewn tomb was located to the southwest.

During the British Mandate period, the village was repopulated. By the mid-1940s, Deir al-Sheikh had 220 residents, the majority of whom were Muslims, with a minority of 10 Christians. Most homes were built of stone. The village featured the Maqam of Shaykh Sultan Badr, a mosque, and several shops. Drinking water was drawn from a well located in the western corner of the village.

The villagers cultivated mainly rainfed crops such as grains, vegetables, and fruit trees. Olive and fruit orchards were spread over relatively large areas in the east, west, and north, while other lands were used for livestock grazing. In 1944–1945, a total of 1,025 dunums was allocated for cereals and 291 dunums were irrigated or used for orchards. Archaeological remains at the site included walls, columns, building foundations, cisterns, tombs, and wine or oil presses.

Occupation and Depopulation

Following the end of the second truce of the 1948 war, on October 15, Israeli forces advanced through the Jerusalem corridor, south of the road leading to the coastal plain. The Harel Brigade occupied Deir al-Sheikh on or around October 21, 1948, during Operation Ha-Har (see: ‘Allar, Jerusalem Subdistrict). While exact details are unavailable, some villagers reportedly fled upon the approach of Israeli forces, while others were forcibly displaced.

Current Status of the Village

The Maqam of Shaykh Sultan Badr is one of the few remaining structures. It is a white building with two domes, arched entrances, and a courtyard, and has been converted into an Israeli tourist site. Wild vegetation covers much of the stone rubble to the west of the maqam. Cactus plants and numerous olive trees grow on terraced lands to the east and west of the village. The ruins of houses and agricultural terraces are still visible across the site.

Israeli Settlements on Village Lands

There are no Israeli settlements built directly on the village lands of Deir al-Sheikh. However, the settlement of Nes Harim (grid reference 155128), established in 1950, is located approximately one kilometer to the southwest of the village site, on land belonging to Bayt ‘Itab.