Ayun Kara (Arabic: ʿUyūn Qāra, عيون قارة) was a small village or locality in the central coastal region of Ottoman Palestine, located near the site of present-day
Ness Ziona
Ness Ziona (, ''Nes Tziyona'') is a city in Central District (Israel), Central District, Israel. In it had a population of , and its jurisdiction was 15,579 dunams ().
Identification
Lying within Ness Ziona's city bounds is the ruin of the Arab ...
, Israel. The name means “Springs of Kara” in Arabic, referring to the natural springs in the area. Though the nearby Jewish agricultural colony of Ness Ziona was established in 1883, Ayun Kara remained distinct in Arabic usage and Ottoman administrative geography.
World War I and the Battle of Ayun Kara
Ayun Kara is historically significant as the site of the
Battle of Ayun Kara, fought on 14 November 1917 during the
Sinai and Palestine Campaign
The Sinai and Palestine campaign was part of the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I, taking place between January 1915 and October 1918. The British Empire, the French Third Republic, and the Kingdom of Italy fought alongside the Arab Revol ...
of
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
. The
New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade
The New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade was a brigade of the New Zealand Army during the First World War. Raised in 1914 as part of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, it was one of the first New Zealand units to sail for service overseas.
T ...
, part of the British Empire’s Egyptian Expeditionary Force, engaged retreating Ottoman forces in this battle, which formed part of the British advance toward
Jaffa
Jaffa (, ; , ), also called Japho, Joppa or Joppe in English, is an ancient Levantine Sea, Levantine port city which is part of Tel Aviv, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel, located in its southern part. The city sits atop a naturally elevated outcrop on ...
and
Jerusalem
Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...
.
The battle’s name derives from the Arabic place name "Ayun Kara," which was used in Ottoman maps and British military reports. Although Ness Ziona was founded decades earlier, it was a smaller, less prominent settlement at the time, and the battle occurred closer to the area identified as Ayun Kara.
A memorial honoring the New Zealand soldiers who fought and died in the battle stands near the former battlefield within modern Ness Ziona.
Modern location and geographic clarification
Today, the historical site of Ayun Kara is located within the municipal boundaries of
Ness Ziona
Ness Ziona (, ''Nes Tziyona'') is a city in Central District (Israel), Central District, Israel. In it had a population of , and its jurisdiction was 15,579 dunams ().
Identification
Lying within Ness Ziona's city bounds is the ruin of the Arab ...
, in Israel’s Central District. It is often mistakenly associated with or confused as part of the nearby city of
Rishon LeZion
Rishon LeZion ( , "First to Zion") is a city in Israel, located along the central Israeli coastal plain south of Tel Aviv. It is part of the Gush Dan metropolitan area.
Founded in 1882 by Jewish immigrants from the Russian Empire who were ...
, due to their close proximity and the urban sprawl that has merged much of the region.
In reality, Ayun Kara was located approximately 5–6 kilometers south of Rishon LeZion and closer to Ness Ziona. While both Ness Ziona (founded 1883) and Rishon LeZion (founded 1882) were early Jewish agricultural colonies, the battle and original village site are definitively within the limits of modern Ness Ziona.
Legacy
The name Ayun Kara survives primarily through historical accounts of the World War I battle and scholarly literature concerning Ottoman Palestine. The area has since been urbanized and incorporated fully into Ness Ziona’s modern infrastructure. The battlefield memorial remains one of the few reminders of Ayun Kara’s historical presence.
See also
*
Sinai and Palestine Campaign
The Sinai and Palestine campaign was part of the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I, taking place between January 1915 and October 1918. The British Empire, the French Third Republic, and the Kingdom of Italy fought alongside the Arab Revol ...
*
Ness Ziona
Ness Ziona (, ''Nes Tziyona'') is a city in Central District (Israel), Central District, Israel. In it had a population of , and its jurisdiction was 15,579 dunams ().
Identification
Lying within Ness Ziona's city bounds is the ruin of the Arab ...
*
Rishon LeZion
Rishon LeZion ( , "First to Zion") is a city in Israel, located along the central Israeli coastal plain south of Tel Aviv. It is part of the Gush Dan metropolitan area.
Founded in 1882 by Jewish immigrants from the Russian Empire who were ...
*
New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade
The New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade was a brigade of the New Zealand Army during the First World War. Raised in 1914 as part of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, it was one of the first New Zealand units to sail for service overseas.
T ...
References
{{Reflist
External links
Battle of Ayun Kara - New Zealand HistoryIsrael Exploration Society Ottoman Palestine
Battles of World War I involving the Ottoman Empire
Ness Ziona
History of Palestine (region)
History of Palestine (region) by period
Former villages