West Bank town renovates ancient palaces belonging to prominent family
The municipality of the town of Arraba in the northern West Bank has been restoring the palaces of the Abd al-Hadi family, one of Palestine’s once most powerful and feudal families.
RAMALLAH, West Bank — On an area of 270 dunams (67 acres) in the center of the old town of Arraba in the northern West Bank, there are colossal palaces that tell part of the history of the Abd al-Hadi family, which played a significant political and economic role in northern Palestine during the 18th and 19th centuries.
The Abd al-Hadi family began the construction of their palaces in the town of Arraba at the end of the 17th century. The 13 imposing edifices reflect the family’s feudal, economic and political power, which made it one of the largest land-owning families in Palestine.
In fact, at the time, the Abd al-Hadi family owned some 500,000 dunams (123,550 acres) of land in 80 different locations in central Palestine, which buffed up their economic and social influence, according to a 2006 research study published in the journal of An-Najah University for Research.
