01In brief
Khan al-Duwayr (recorded in 19th-century sources as Khan ed Duweir) is a small locality in the Merj ʿAyun District documented by the 1881 Survey of Western Palestine. The survey described two stone houses sheltering about twenty Muslim inhabitants on a hillside beside a stream, with olive trees and arable land around them.
02Overview
Khan ed Duweir was listed among the inhabited places of the Merj ʿAyun District on Sheet II. The district formed part of a fertile volcanic plain that the survey described as covered with basalt and debris.[1] The survey counted forty-five villages or inhabited places in the district and recorded its administration by a caimacam exercising authority under the mutaserrif of Beirut.[1]
03History
The principal record comes from the Palestine Exploration Fund's Survey of Western Palestine. The completed maps, notes, memoirs, plans, and drawings were handed to the committee on 10 September 1878, and the first memoir volume was published in 1881.[1] In its Sheet II topographical entries, the memoir listed Khan ed Duweir within the Merj ʿAyun District.[1]
04Demographics and Land Use
The survey's account was a brief snapshot rather than a full census. It stated: "Two stone houses here contain about twenty Moslems; situated on slope of hill near the stream of water, with olives and arable cultivation around."[1] The entry therefore documents a very small Muslim population together with nearby water, olive growing, and cultivated fields.[1]
05Name and Identification
The 1881 name list assigns Khan ed Duweir to Sheet II and translates it as "The Caravanserai of the little convent or circle."[2] The same volume translates Khan by itself as "The Caravanserai."[2] It also records a distinct Khurbet ed Duweir on Sheet IV, translated as "The ruin of the little monastery."[2] Because the name list uses the Duweir element for more than one locality, references to this site should be checked against its Sheet II placement rather than identified from the shared name alone.[2]
Sources
- 1Internet Archive, Full text of "The survey of western Palestine : memoirs of the topography, orography, hydrography, and archaeology", accessed on September 25, 2026.
- 2Internet Archive, Full text of "The survey of Western Palestine : Arabic and English name lists collected during the survey", accessed on September 25, 2026.
IsraelPedia Question & Answers
What is Khan al-Duwayr?
Khan al-Duwayr is a small locality in the Merj ʿAyun District, documented by the 1881 Survey of Western Palestine. At the time of the survey, it consisted of two stone houses on a hillside beside a stream, sheltering about twenty Muslim inhabitants, with olive trees and arable land nearby.
What district did Khan al-Duwayr belong to, and how was that district governed?
Khan al-Duwayr belonged to the Merj ʿAyun District, which the Survey of Western Palestine described as a fertile volcanic plain covered with basalt and debris. The district contained forty-five villages or inhabited places and was administered by a caimacam exercising authority under the mutaserrif of Beirut.
What is the source of the historical record for Khan al-Duwayr?
The principal record of Khan al-Duwayr comes from the Palestine Exploration Fund's Survey of Western Palestine. The completed maps, notes, memoirs, plans, and drawings were handed to the committee on 10 September 1878, and the first memoir volume was published in 1881, which listed Khan ed Duweir within the Merj ʿAyun District in its Sheet II topographical entries.
What does the name Khan al-Duwayr mean?
The 1881 Survey of Western Palestine name list translates Khan ed Duweir as "The Caravanserai of the little convent or circle," with Khan by itself translated as "The Caravanserai." The same volume records a distinct locality called Khurbet ed Duweir on Sheet IV, translated as "The ruin of the little monastery," meaning references to Khan al-Duwayr should be verified by its Sheet II placement rather than by the shared Duweir element alone.