Ein Qiniya

Ein Qiniya

Ein Qiniya, known as Ainqune during the Crusader era, is a small village situated approximately 6 km northwest of Ramallah. It is bordered by the lands of Ramallah, Beitunia, Ain Arik, Deir Ibzee, Al-Janiyah, and Al-Mazraa Al-Qibliye.

The village is renowned for its abundant water springs, which make it a fertile area for agriculture and popular for picnics during the spring and autumn seasons. Notable springs include Ein Al-Janayin, Ein Al-Tahta, and Ain Al-Asfoura. Every year, on the fourth of March, an annual march from Ramallah to Ein Qiniya celebrates the arrival of spring and the village's extensive olive fields. The village also hosts the shrine of Sheikh Abu Al-Oyoun. Additionally, BirdLife International has designated a 1,500-hectare site near the village as an Important Bird Area.

Archaeological studies have shown that Ein Qiniya dates back to the Middle Bronze Age, evidenced by the discovery of an ancient tomb. The village continued to be inhabited through various periods, including the Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Umayyad, Abbasid, Crusader, Ayyubid, Mamluk, and early Ottoman periods.

During the Crusader era, King Godfrey granted Ein Qiniya to a feudal lord who subsequently presented it to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. In the Mamluk period, it was decreed that all proceeds from Ein Qiniya would support the Tankiziyya School (Koum) in Jerusalem, completed in 1328-1329 AD.

In 1517, Ein Qiniya became part of the Ottoman Empire along with the rest of Palestine. According to the 1596 tax records, Ein Qiniya was located at the end of Mount Jerusalem in the district of Jerusalem and had a population of 32 Muslim families. The villagers paid a 33% tax on agricultural products, including wheat, barley, summer crops, olive trees, vineyards, fruit trees, goats, and beehives.