Kufranjah (also transliterated ''Kufrinja'') is a municipality in the

Ajloun Governorate Ajloun Governorate (alternative spelling Ajlun Governorate) () is one of the governorates of Jordan, located north of Amman the capital of Jordan. Ajloun Governorate has the fourth highest population density in Jordan (after Irbid, Jerash, and ...

, located in the northwestern region of

Jordan Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a country in the Southern Levant region of West Asia. Jordan is bordered by Syria to the north, Iraq to the east, Saudi Arabia to the south, and Israel and the occupied Palestinian ter ...

. It serves as the administrative center for the

Kufranjah District Kufranjah () is one of the districts of Ajloun governorate, Jordan. Its administrative center is Kufranjah City. In 2011, Prince William of the British Royal Family visited Kufranjah to meet refugee communities on a Tour of Jordan and Israel. ...

Name

"Kufranjah" is composed of two parts. "Kafr" is a Syriac word that translates to "village." Some scholars posit that the word may have originated from Canaanite or

Aramaic Aramaic (; ) is a Northwest Semitic language that originated in the ancient region of Syria and quickly spread to Mesopotamia, the southern Levant, Sinai, southeastern Anatolia, and Eastern Arabia, where it has been continually written a ...

. The second part, "Najah," is derived from "Ferenjah", the Frenchmen who were captured by

Izz al-Din Usama Izz al-Din Usama () was a 12th-century Ayyubid ''emir'' and a nephew of Saladin. Emir of Ajlun and Kawkab In 1183, he was ordered by Saladin to build the Rabbadh Fortress at Ajlun in northern Jordan with the purpose of protecting Ayyubid holdings ...

, one of Saladin Al-Ayyubi's commanders. He provided them with temporary accommodation in the Kufranjah valley.

History

In his account, the traveler, James Buckingham, notes that he passed through the town of Kufranjah in 1825. He states that the population at that time was 400 individuals. Buckingham also describes the town's sheikh as polite in his behavior, respectful of strangers, and holding considerable authority. He notes that the sheikh was officially under the authority of the

Pasha Pasha (; ; ) was a high rank in the Ottoman Empire, Ottoman political and military system, typically granted to governors, generals, dignitary, dignitaries, and others. ''Pasha'' was also one of the highest titles in the 20th-century Kingdom of ...

Damascus Damascus ( , ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in the Levant region by population, largest city of Syria. It is the oldest capital in the world and, according to some, the fourth Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. Kno ...

, a status shared by all the sheikhs of the Ajloun district villages.

Geography

Geology and topography

The town of Kufranjah is situated in a fortified location, surrounded by

mountain A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher t ...

s on three sides. To the west, the terrain transitions to an open area that connects to the Jordan Valley. The terrain of Kufranjah is characterised by rugged mountains, which presents significant challenges to the construction of roads in the region. The valley designated as Kufranjah Valley traverses the region from its northern border. The river is fed by a multitude of tributaries and springs, which are distributed throughout the area and utilized by residents for irrigation purposes, particularly for the cultivation of

vegetable Vegetables are edible parts of plants that are consumed by humans or other animals as food. This original meaning is still commonly used, and is applied to plants collectively to refer to all edible plant matter, including edible flower, flo ...

s and fruits. The city's location at the crossroads of the trade route between the Jordan Valley and

Palestine Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...

, on the one hand, and

Ajloun Ajloun (, ''‘Ajlūn''), also spelled Ajlun, is the capital town of the Ajloun Governorate, a hilly town in the north of Jordan, located 76 kilometers (around 47 miles) north west of Amman. It is noted for its impressive ruins of the 12th-centur ...

Irbid Irbid (), known in ancient times as Arabella or Arbela (Άρβηλα in Ancient Greek language, Ancient Greek), is the capital and largest city of Irbid Governorate. It has the second-largest metropolitan population in Jordan after Amman, with a ...

, and

Amman Amman ( , ; , ) is the capital and the largest city of Jordan, and the country's economic, political, and cultural center. With a population of four million as of 2021, Amman is Jordan's primate city and is the largest city in the Levant ...

, on the other, and its temperate climate were among the factors that led to its initial construction and subsequent habitation.

Climate

The climate of Kufranjah is classified as

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...

, with short cold

winter Winter is the coldest and darkest season of the year in temperate and polar climates. It occurs after autumn and before spring. The tilt of Earth's axis causes seasons; winter occurs when a hemisphere is oriented away from the Sun. Dif ...

s marked by heavy precipitation. The

summer Summer or summertime is the hottest and brightest of the four temperate seasons, occurring after spring and before autumn. At or centred on the summer solstice, daylight hours are the longest and darkness hours are the shortest, with day ...

season is characterized by prolonged periods of high temperatures and low precipitation. The region is known for its copious precipitation, commencing in late September.

Location and area

Kufranjah is situated in the southwestern region of the

, spanning between 35°35' 35" and 35°48' 35" east longitude and between 35°16' and 32°21' north latitude. It is located at an elevation of 640 meters above sea level. The region is distinguished by a range of altitudes above sea level. The southern areas are the highest, with elevations gradually decreasing towards the west, reaching sea level in some areas, such as Khirbet al-Nileh. At the town of Karima, where the valley emerges from the rift edge, the elevation is approximately -200 meters. The total area encompassed by the boundaries of the municipality of Kufranjah is 11,450,450 m².

Districts

Al-Ananzeh District

The area is also referred to as the Southern District. This designation was derived from the predominant presence of the Ananzeh tribe in the region. Historically, the area was renowned for its rich arboreal biodiversity, encompassing

oak An oak is a hardwood tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' of the beech family. They have spirally arranged leaves, often with lobed edges, and a nut called an acorn, borne within a cup. The genus is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisp ...

and

carob The carob ( ; ''Ceratonia siliqua'') is a flowering evergreen tree or shrub in the Caesalpinioideae sub-family of the legume family, Fabaceae. It is widely cultivated for its edible fruit, which takes the form of seed pods, and as an ornam ...

trees. However, the extent of these natural resources has diminished as a consequence of urbanization and population growth.

Al-Amriya District

The district is situated to the east of Kafr Najah. It was constructed on an ancient archaeological site, Khirbet Al-Amiriya and the residents rely on a single water spring for their sustenance.

Sahl District

Situated on the eastern periphery of the city, this district was historically a cultivated area, utilized for the production of a variety of summer crops, including

watermelon The watermelon (''Citrullus lanatus'') is a species of flowering plant in the family Cucurbitaceae, that has a large, edible fruit. It is a Glossary of botanical terms#scandent, scrambling and trailing vine-like plant, and is plant breeding ...

corn Maize (; ''Zea mays''), also known as corn in North American English, is a tall stout Poaceae, grass that produces cereal grain. It was domesticated by indigenous peoples of Mexico, indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago ...

cantaloupe The cantaloupe ( ) is a type of true melon (''Cucumis melo'') with sweet, aromatic, and usually orange flesh. Originally, ''cantaloupe'' refers to the true cantaloupe or European cantaloupe with non- to slightly netted and often ribbed rind. ...

zucchini Zucchini (; : ''zucchini'' or ''zucchinis''), courgette () or ''Cucurbita pepo'' is a summer squash, a Vine, vining herbaceous plant whose fruit are harvested when their immature seeds and Fruit anatomy#Epicarp, epicarp (rind) are still soft a ...

tomato The tomato (, ), ''Solanum lycopersicum'', is a plant whose fruit is an edible Berry (botany), berry that is eaten as a vegetable. The tomato is a member of the nightshade family that includes tobacco, potato, and chili peppers. It originate ...

es,

pumpkin A pumpkin is a cultivar, cultivated winter squash in the genus ''Cucurbita''. The term is most commonly applied to round, orange-colored squash varieties, but does not possess a scientific definition. It may be used in reference to many dif ...

s, and peppers. The olive tree known as Rumi, which was planted during the Roman occupation of the region, was planted in this location.

Hamura District

The district was characterized by the presence of

and

trees, and the sight of ducklings was a common occurrence. The district was sparsely populated.

Al-Mathana District

The district was named in reference to the flour mill that was situated within its boundaries. This mill performed a range of flour-related operations, including grinding

lentil The lentil (''Vicia lens'' or ''Lens culinaris'') is an annual plant, annual legume grown for its Lens (geometry), lens-shaped edible seeds or ''pulses'', also called ''lentils''. It is about tall, and the seeds grow in Legume, pods, usually w ...

bean A bean is the seed of some plants in the legume family (Fabaceae) used as a vegetable for human consumption or animal feed. The seeds are often preserved through drying (a ''pulse''), but fresh beans are also sold. Dried beans are traditi ...

s, and

wheat Wheat is a group of wild and crop domestication, domesticated Poaceae, grasses of the genus ''Triticum'' (). They are Agriculture, cultivated for their cereal grains, which are staple foods around the world. Well-known Taxonomy of wheat, whe ...

Haret Nasera District

Harat Nasera district is situated on the western periphery of the city of Kufranjah. Prior to its development, the area was devoid of human habitation.

Al-Ksayer District

Al-Kasayer district is situated to the north of the city of Kufranjah, extending to the Jordan Valley, which constitutes the route connecting Kufranjah to

Hawara District

The district is situated to the west of the city of Kufranjah and is distinguished by its precipitous slope and the prevalence of

olive trees The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'' ("European olive"), is a species of subtropical evergreen tree in the family Oleaceae. Originating in Asia Minor, it is abundant throughout the Mediterranean Basin, with wild subspecies in Africa ...

cultivated in it. This district is one of the recently established neighborhoods in the city of Kufranjah. Its rapid growth was accelerated by the construction of a

mosque A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Salah, Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard. Originally, mosques were si ...

and its proximity to two educational institutions catering to male students.

Abughamer District

The district is situated to the west of the city of Kufranjah. It encompasses the site where the stones from which the Kufranjah municipality, school, and security center were constructed, which was previously designated as the police station. This district was uninhabited due to the presence of a dense forest comprising a variety of tree species, including

, al-Abhar, al-Suwaid, al-Maloul, and

Jabaliya District

This district was uninhabited and comprised a diverse array of arboreal species, including: The region's

flora Flora (: floras or florae) is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous (ecology), indigenous) native plant, native plants. The corresponding term for animals is ''fauna'', and for f ...

included oak trees, carob trees, al-Abhar trees, mallow, swede, and ptarmigan, which provided an opportunity for farmers to harvest and dry the produce. The seeds are fried on a baking sheet and mixed with fried wheat and qarish, which is the inner portion of the stalks or their palatable black seeds. These were initially placed on the backs of walls until they dried sufficiently and hardened. Subsequently, the branches and their surrounding foliage would open, facilitating the collection of qarish, in addition to the main tree, the olive.

Al-Teen District

The district is situated to the north of the city of Kufranjah, and its name is derived from the

fig The fig is the edible fruit of ''Ficus carica'', a species of tree or shrub in the flowering plant family Moraceae, native to the Mediterranean region, together with western and southern Asia. It has been cultivated since ancient times and i ...

trees that were once prevalent in the area. This district is distinguished by the existence of several ancient archaeological sites, which have yielded a range of artifacts, including

saddle A saddle is a supportive structure for a rider of an animal, fastened to an animal's back by a girth. The most common type is equestrian. However, specialized saddles have been created for oxen, camels and other animals. It is not know ...

glassware upTypical drinkware. This list of glassware includes drinking vessels (drinkware), tableware used to set a table for eating a meal and generally glass items such as vases, and glasses used in the catering industry. It does not include laboratory ...

, and other items. Additionally, the presence of several caves, which served as burial grounds for the deceased, has been documented, and

human skulls The skull, or cranium, is typically a bony enclosure around the brain of a vertebrate. In some fish, and amphibians, the skull is of cartilage. The skull is at the head end of the vertebrate. In the human, the skull comprises two prominent ...

have been unearthed at these sites.

Souq District

The district is situated at the central point of the city.

Haret Al-Jamea (al-Jamea al-Kabir)

The mosque served as a focal point for communal activities. Its location, situated on a lane lined with diverse tree species and a source of natural water, further enhanced its significance.

Population

The 2015 census showed a population of 31,015. The municipality of Kufranjah was established in 1946 and is the second municipality in Ajloun governorate, preceded only by the governorate center, which was established with the declaration of independence of the

Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a country in the Southern Levant region of West Asia. Jordan is bordered by Syria to the north, Iraq to the east, Saudi Arabia to the south, and Israel and the occupied Palestinian ter ...

. It is the sole municipality in the Kufranjah Brigade that includes 30% of the governorate's population."Population estimation by locality" (PDF). dos.gov.jo.
Archived from th
original
(PDF) on 5 June 2019. Retrieved 31 May 2023.

References

{{reflist Populated places in Ajloun Governorate