"Built into the terraced hillside, Batir’s vine-wrapped stone
alleyways give way to the ancient Roman-era pools and tiny canals that
run along pathways down to flood small earthen plots where eggplants
grow. The villagers use stones to control the year-round flow of water,
which is rotated daily among Batir’s eight main clans. The ancient
method is far less lucrative that modern day drip agriculture, but
villagers have stuck with tradition.
"We have learned to
appreciate this cultural landscape. We have an interest in preserving
these locations," says Yuval Peled, director of the park’s authority
planning and development department.....
.......The tens of thousands of acres of ancient terraces straddling the
Green Line border in the Jerusalem hills stand as one of many reminders
that the West Bank as a separate entity is a recent creation of the
Arab-Israeli conflict.
Indeed, when Israeli and Jordanian military officers first drew the Green Line in 1949, Israel’s Moshe Dayan sought to preserve Batir’s unique tradition by leaving the frontier
open and allowing Palestinian villagers access to lands within the newly
formed Israeli state.
That 64-year-old recognition and the fact
that villagers have refrained from attacks on Israelis despite Batir’s
perch above a rail line connecting Jerusalem and Tel Aviv likely helped the village. Still, the case still isn’t settled."
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2013/0519/In-Israel-a-modern-wall-is-halted-by-ancient-terraces?nav=87-frontpage-entryNineItem
In Israel, a modern wall is halted by ancient terraces
Israel’s high court has issued an injunction against extending the
separation barrier through the Palestinian village of Batir, famed for
its 2,500-year-old terraces and aqueducts.
***
Battir
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Palestine Remembered Battir - بتّير : A constellation of Students of Battir Girls؟ School in 1952 كوكبة من طالبات مدرسة إناث بتير عام |
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Palestine Remembered Battir - بتّير : Half of which were common in Battir Palestineنصفها كان سائداً في بتير |
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