The Olive Press (Al-Bad) and the Dar Al Dawani
The Al-Dawani family owns this heritage building, which dates back to the early 19th century. It was constructed on the site of an olive press from the Crusader period, with the press incorporated into the building's ground floor.
The house has two floors. The ground floor, located to the right of the Crusader press on its western side, is connected through an internal door. It features an elegant stone archway leading to an open courtyard. On the southern side of the courtyard is a room used as a diwan, consisting of a rectangular hall with two domes supported by crossed arches. The eastern part of this floor includes a covered gallery, while a narrow stone staircase ascends from the northern side of the courtyard.
The upper floor features a spacious open yard on the western side and four rooms on the north and south sides, with a large central hall. The architectural details, including the stone decorations on door and window thresholds, reflect the historical period of the building.
The press, integrated into the house, has a hall with two entrances: one leading to the road south of the house and another on the western facade that connects directly to the house. The hall measures approximately 20 x 8 meters and is divided into two sections. The southern section retains its original Crusader-era eastern wall and features a barrel-vaulted ceiling about 6 meters above the floor. The northern section mirrors the southern section in size and design, connected by a wide arch with a roof supported by intersecting arches. The western wall of the press includes rooms for storing olives, with ceilings used for resting by the workers.
The press contains three small wells for collecting olive oil and separating it from other liquids. It features a circular stone and wooden beam press, with the beam's edges attached to an animal that rotates around the stone to crush the olives. The structure also includes remnants of three additional presses, showing the evolution of oil extraction methods—from wooden presses to an iron compressor with a serrated axis and wheel.
The building and press have been restored and are now managed by the Altar Society, which focuses on cultural, sports, and musical activities.