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The last cave dwellers of Palestine

About 1,500 Palestinians in a dozen West Bank hamlets maintain a unique tradition of cave dwelling.

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Mahmoud Hussein Hamamdi stands in his cave in the hamlet of Um Faqarah. 'In 2007, I decided to build a brick house because I could not live with my two wives and 14 children in that one cave,' he said. 'But on November 24, 2011, Israeli bulldozers destroyed the house, as well as the mosque and the container for the collective power generator.' [Eloise Bollack/Al Jazeera]
By Eloise Bollack
Published On 8 Aug 2015

Masafer Yatta, occupied West Bank – In the district of Masafer Yatta, in the southern part of the occupied West Bank, about 1,500 Palestinians in a dozen hamlets maintain a unique tradition of cave dwelling.

“We live the same way my ancestors used to. It is a very simple life; we live with the seasons, taking care of the flock, harvesting the fields. We collect water from two wells, and a power generator provides electricity,” said Mahmoud Hussein Hamamdi, who lives in Um Faqarah, a cave hamlet where the Israeli military has prevented the building of any new structures.

According to research by Ali Qleibo, a Palestinian anthropologist studying these communities, the tribes from the south of Jerusalem to the outskirts of Beersheba were all cave dweller communities until the 19th century. 

“The powerful symbolism of these caves still resonates in the Judeo-Christian-Muslim tradition, as is evident in the Cave of Abraham in Hebron, the Cave of the Nativity in Bethlehem, and the cave under the Dome of the Rock,” Qleibo told Al Jazeera. 

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Saheer Hamamdi prepares dawali, a traditional Palestinian dish, with her sister-in-law. In cave dwellings, there is no proper kitchen and no table, so the food is prepared and eaten directly on the ground. [Eloise Bollack/Al Jazeera]
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In the Jinba cave hamlet, walls are carved out and plastered, and chambers are dug out of the soft rock. The rozanna, a ventilation and light shaft also used to haul in grains for storage, was dug into the ceiling, and alcoves were cut into the walls to store belongings. [Eloise Bollack/Al Jazeera]
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The typical entrance to the home is a stone doorway leading to a cave, which extends into the soft, clay-like rock. [Eloise Bollack/Al Jazeera]
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The family of Saheer Hamamdi is one of the few who could afford to bring a stove into their dwelling. Most families use simple cooking cylinders. [Eloise Bollack/Al Jazeera]
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In May 2012, the Hamamdi family built a brick house on top of the cave to accommodate their numerous children. But less than a month later, the Israeli Civil Administration issued a demolition order for the new home. [Eloise Bollack/Al Jazeera]
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The entrance of this cave home was enlarged to place a door and a window. On the left, the family built a new brick house that is covered up by plastic, as Israel has prevented residents from building any new structure. [Eloise Bollack/Al Jazeera]
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The caves provide comfortable housing and storage space in a region with hot summers and cold winters. [Eloise Bollack/Al Jazeera]
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The caves are usually divided into three areas: a living area, a storage area and a cooking area, along with a place to keep livestock in winter. [Eloise Bollack/Al Jazeera]
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There is no running water in this cave village, and residents are prevented from building any infrastructure, including wells or a system to collect rainwater. [Eloise Bollack/Al Jazeera]
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The daily portion of bread is prepared in the traditional taboon oven, a clay or stone oven built and used since pre-biblical times in the region. [Eloise Bollack/Al Jazeera]
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In the cave hamlets, residents rely on grain, olives, sheep and goats, and on the production of milk and cheese - just as their ancestors did for centuries. [Eloise Bollack/Al Jazeera]
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Palestinians harvest wheat in the village of Um Faqarah. However, the production is barely enough to cover the needs of the population, as most of the land was seized for Israeli military bases and settlements. When there is no rain, the plants also suffer because Palestinian residents are denied access by Israel to running water. [Eloise Bollack/Al Jazeera]
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The cave culture is an ecological adaptation of the aboriginal nomadic settlers to the geography of Palestine, as caves provided an ideal refuge against the numerous armies and tribes that swept the land. [Eloise Bollack/Al Jazeera]