Ras Karkar
| Ras Karkar | |
|---|---|
| Other transcription(s) | |
| • Arabic | رأس كركر |
Ras Karkar
|
|
 Ras Karkar
|
|
| Coordinates: 31°56′37″N 35°06′18″E / 31.94361°N 35.10500°ECoordinates: 31°56′37″N 35°06′18″E / 31.94361°N 35.10500°E | |
| Palestine grid | 159/150 |
| Governorate | Ramallah & al-Bireh |
| Government | |
| • Type | Municipality |
| Population (2007) | |
| • Jurisdiction | 1,663 |
| Name meaning | The Hill-top |
Ras Karkar (Arabic: رأس كركر) is a Palestinian village in the Ramallah and al-Bireh Governorate, located 11 kilometers (6.8 mi) northwest of Ramallah in the northern West Bank. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS), the town had a population of 1,663 inhabitants in 2007.
Potsherds from the Hellenistic, Mamluk and early Ottoman era have been found.
The village, also known as Ras Ibn Samhan, is topped with a castle on a high, rocky and sharply sloping mountain surrounded by cactus trees. One of the many throne villages (a central village dominated by a semi-feudal family which controlled tens of villages around it) in Palestine, the castle of the Samhan family, erected in 18th or 19th century, is the subject of a preservation effort, and provides proof of the great power and wealth held by its owners at the time.
The chief Sheikh of the Simhan family was Isma'il, who was killed by Ibrahim Pasha in the 1834 uprising. After Isma'il, Hasan es-Sa'id and Mohammah ibn Isma'il became the rulers.
Edward Robinson passed by in 1838, and described the place as "a castle".
Ras Karkar was ruled by Sheikh Ismail Ibn Samhan who was respected and appreciated by his clan for the many contributions and support that he provided. Sheikh Ismail was killed by the Abu Ghosh family which controlled another throne village near Ras Karkar, and the castle was handed over to his nephew Hussein.
...
Wikipedia