Turmus Ayya
| Turmus 'Ayyā | |
|---|---|
| Other transcription(s) | |
| • Arabic | ترمسعيّا |
| • Also spelled | Turmus'ayyeh (official) Tourmous Ayyeh (unofficial) |
 |
|
 Turmus 'Ayyā
Location of Turmus 'Ayyā within the Palestinian territories
|
|
| Coordinates: 32°02′09″N 35°17′10″E / 32.03583°N 35.28611°ECoordinates: 32°02′09″N 35°17′10″E / 32.03583°N 35.28611°E | |
| Palestine grid | 177/160 |
| Governorate | Ramallah & al-Bireh |
| Government | |
| • Type | Village council |
| • Head of Municipality | Mohammed Ibrahim |
| Area | |
| • Jurisdiction | 17,606 dunams (17.6 km2 or 6.8 sq mi) |
| Population (2007) | |
| • Jurisdiction | 3,736 |
| Name meaning | Thormasia |
Turmus Ayya (Arabic: ترمسعيّا) is a Palestinian town located in the Ramallah and al-Bireh Governorate in the West Bank. Its surrounding villages are Sinjil (سنجل), Khirbet Abu Falah (خربة ابو فلاح) and the Israeli settlement of Shilo. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS), it had a population of 3,736 in 2007.
Turmus Ayya is located 22 kilometres (14 mi) northeast of the city of Ramallah. Its jurisdiction is about 18,000 acres (73 km2). Turmus Ayya is 720 m above sea level. It is also the northernmost town in the Ramallah District. Turmus Ayya's climate is similar to that of the central West Bank, which is rainy in the winter, and hot and humid in the summer.
Turmus Ayya appears in older maps and reference books, such as Mustafa Murad al-Dabbagh's encyclopedia "Palestine, Our Land,” as Thorinasia. The name is broken down into three parts - Tur-Massh-Ayya: Tur means mountain, Massh is the pulp left after squeezing grapes, and Ayya means humid. Alternately, the name might come from the Latin: Terra (land) and Mesia (Messiah), hence "Land of the Messiah."
Potsherds from the late Iron Age (8 -7th century B.C.E.) period and later have been found, and it is estimated that the village has existed continuously since then.
Turmus Ayya is generally accepted as being the Turbasaim in Crusader sources.
Just North-East of Turmus Ayya is Kh. Ras ad Deir/Deir el Fikia, believed to be the Crusader village of Dere.
In 1145, half of the income from both villages were given to the Abbey of Mount Tabor, so that they could maintain the church at Sinjil. In 1175, all three villages; Turmus Ayya, Dere and Sinjil, were transferred to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
...
Wikipedia