Beit Awwa
| Beit Awwa | |
|---|---|
| Other transcription(s) | |
| • Arabic | بيت عوّا |
| • Also spelled | Khirbet Beit 'Awwa (official) Bayt 'Awwa (unofficial) |
Beit Awwa, 2015
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 Beit Awwa
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| Coordinates: 31°30′30.90″N 34°57′00.96″E / 31.5085833°N 34.9502667°ECoordinates: 31°30′30.90″N 34°57′00.96″E / 31.5085833°N 34.9502667°E | |
| Governorate | Hebron |
| Government | |
| • Type | Municipality |
| Area | |
| • Jurisdiction | 470 dunams (0.5 km2 or 0.2 sq mi) |
| Population (2007) | |
| • Jurisdiction | 8,064 |
| Name meaning | "House of Auwa" |
Beit Awwa (Arabic: بيت عوّا) is a Palestinian town in the Hebron Governorate in the southern West Bank, located 22 kilometers west of Hebron and 4 kilometers west of Dura. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, Beit Awwa had a population of 8,064 inhabitants in 2007.
In 1863, the French explorer Victor Guérin visited Beit Awwa. He described finding many artificial caves, some of which were large and had shaped domes, other smaller with square ceilings. Most entries were surrounded by piles of stones from old demolished buildings.
In 1875, the Palestine Exploration Fund's Survey of Western Palestine visited Beit Awwa. They described several ruins, each with a different name;
"Khurbet es Sueity, Khurbet el Mehami, Khurbet el Kusah are all sites with foundations and caves. El Kusr is an ancient watch-tower, with drystone walls in ruins; el Keniseh seems to be a ruined church; foundations, capitals, shafts, and lintels with the Maltese cross on them, remain showing a Byzantine building. There is also a fine font fitted for immersion. In the centre a square basin, 2 feet 3 inches side, 7 inches deep ; four steps lead down, 5 inches high, 9 inches broad ; the whole surrounded by four segmental recesses, the external form of the font being that of a rounded cross, the longest measurement either way being 5 feet, and the total height outside 2 feet 4 inches."
At the time of the 1931 census of Palestine the population of Beit Awwa was counted under Dura.
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