Hawsha
Hawsha (Arabic: هوشة, Hǔsheh, also Husha) was a Palestinian village located 13 kilometers (8.1 mi) east of Haifa, about 100 meters (330 ft) above sea level.
Hawsha
هوشة Husha, Khirbat Husha, Khǔrbet Hǔsheh | |
|---|---|
Remains of Hawsha in the winter of 2010 | |
| Etymology: Joshua or Kh. Husheh; "The ruin of Husheh", | |
1870s map
1940s map
modern map
1940s with modern overlay map
A series of historical maps of the area around Hawsha (click the buttons) | |
Hawsha Location within Mandatory Palestine | |
| Coordinates: 32°47′36″N 35°08′41″E | |
| Palestine grid | 163/244 |
| Geopolitical entity | Mandatory Palestine |
| Subdistrict | Haifa |
| Date of depopulation | mid-April, 1948 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 901 dunams (90.1 ha or 223 acres) |
| Population (1945) | |
| • Total | 400 |
| Cause(s) of depopulation | Military assault by Yishuv forces |
During the late Roman period, Hawsha was the site of the ancient Jewish town of Usha, which was the seat of the Sanhedrin. Ruins on the site include ancient mosaics and tombs. The village had a Maqam (shrine) for Nabi Hushan.
In 1945, it had a population of 580 inhabitants, 400 of whom were Arab Muslims and 180 of whom were Jewish. The built-up area of the village was 50 dunums, and 717 dunums were used for agriculture. All but 7 dunums of public land were owned by Jews by this time.
Hawsha was depopulated during the 1947–1948 Civil War in Mandatory Palestine on April 16, 1948, as part of the Battle of Ramat Yohanan.