Dayr Aban
Dayr Aban
دير آبان | |
|---|---|
Entrance to a house in Dayr Aban | |
| Etymology: The Monastery of Aban | |
1870s map
1940s map
modern map
1940s with modern overlay map
A series of historical maps of the area around Dayr Aban (click the buttons) | |
Dayr Aban Location within Mandatory Palestine | |
| Coordinates: 31°44′33″N 35°00′34″E / 31.74250°N 35.00944°E | |
| Palestine grid | 151/127 |
| Geopolitical entity | Mandatory Palestine |
| Subdistrict | Jerusalem |
| Date of depopulation | October 19–20, 1948 |
| Area | |
• Total | 22,734 dunams (22.734 km2; 8.778 sq mi) |
| Population (1945) | |
• Total | 2,100 |
| Cause(s) of depopulation | Military assault by Yishuv forces |
| Current Localities | Tzora, Mahseya, Beit Shemesh, and Yish'i |
Dayr Aban (also spelled Deir Aban; Arabic: دير آبان) was a Palestinian Arab village in the Jerusalem Subdistrict, located on the lower slope of a high ridge that formed the western slope of a mountain, to the east of Beit Shemesh. It was formerly bordered by olive trees to the north, east, and west. The valley, Wadi en-Najil, ran north and south on the west-side of the village.
The village is associated with the biblical site of Eben-Ezer. The prefix "Dayr" hints at a historical monastery. Early Ottoman records document a mixed Christian and Muslim population. However, by the 17th century, historical records highlights a communal conversion to Islam. Nonetheless, traditions linked to the village's Christian past persisted in later periods.
Dayr Aban was depopulated during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War on October 19, 1948, during Operation Ha-Har. It was located 21 km west of Jerusalem. Today there are over 5000 people originally from Deir Aban living in Jordan.