Al-Bikai'a also spelled al-Buqei'a (Arabic: البقيعة) is a Palestinian village cluster in the Tubas Governorate of the State of Palestine, that includes the three hamlets of Khirbet al-'Atuf, al-Hadidiyah, and Khirbet Humsa al-Fawqa. 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.[1] According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, al-Hadidya had a population of 183 inhabitants.[2]
al-Bikai'a
| |
|---|---|
Village Cluster
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| Arabic transcription(s) | |
| • Arabic | البقيعة |
| • Latin | al-Buqei'a (official) |
  al-Bikai'a Location of al-Bikai'a within Palestine | |
| Coordinates: 32°15′53.38″N 35°26′12.98″E / 32.2648278°N 35.4369389°E / 32.2648278; 35.4369389 | |
| State |  State of Palestine |
| Governorate | Tubas |
| Founded | 1500 BCE |
| Government | |
| • Type | Village Cluster (from 1996) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 29,250 dunams (29.5 km2 or 11.4 sq mi) |
| Population
(2006)
| |
| • Total | 1,850 |
| • Density | 63/km2 (160/sq mi) |
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.[1]
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.[1]
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.
