إعادة إحياء القرى الفلسطينية المدمرة عام 1948
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Date
2024
Authors
مؤمن مدلل
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Abstract
For 76 years, Palestine has endured countless afflictions, witnessed numerous massacres, seen its villages demolished, and its people displaced. To this day, we carry the memory of these events, passing it down through generations to document the atrocities and preserve the history of the village that the occupation tried to erase.
My project aims to revive the village of Qaqun under the title "The Path of Return," a name inspired by the concept of returning in memory to the past (the village before and during the Nakba) and physically returning to the village, traversing its lands and reaching the village center.
My journey began with studying the ongoing conflict in Palestine, where I delved into the history of my village by stepping back in time to 1948 when the Balfour Declaration of 1917 pledged support for a Jewish national home in Palestine. This historical context is crucial to understanding the plight of the Palestinians. For over 70 years, Palestinians have suffered displacement, movement restrictions, and harsh living conditions, all to establish a Jewish state on Palestinian land. To achieve this, the Zionist movement committed numerous massacres against Palestinians, destroying villages, displacing their inhabitants, and killing them in cold blood.
My village, Qaqun in the Tulkarm district, was one of the villages threatening Zionist control over coastal Palestinian cities as it was the only passage connecting Haifa and Jaffa. Therefore, the fall of Qaqun was deemed necessary and inevitable to ensure control for the Zionist entity, regardless of the bloodshed and massacres required to achieve their goals. The only fault of Qaqun’s inhabitants was their geographical location. Qaqun was a significant village due to its strategic position as a central hub connecting surrounding villages. Additionally, its proximity to the train station and the railway running through its lands made Qaqun a gathering point for neighboring villages for boarding the train, as well as a commercial and agricultural powerhouse.
In 1948, during the Nakba, the occupation forced the villagers to leave their homes under the threat of heavy bombardment, which resulted in over 20 martyrs in the first strike. The villagers left without fighting, but 35 fighters, along with the Iraqi army, resisted this oppressive force until Qaqun’s land embraced their bodies and absorbed their blood. The cowardly Zionist forces bombarded Qaqun with artillery, leveling the village, except for the steadfast Crusader castle, which they took as a base for their forces.
concept :
The project's idea is embodied in a journey that reflects the village's story and its martyrs, enabling visitors to go back in time to experience life before the Nakba and remind them of the details and massacre that the village inhabitants endured.
The path starts from the train station (the Ottoman train), where the station has been rebuilt on the same pre-Nakba site. Next to the station, a lodge has been added to serve the neighboring villages and visitors. The path then traverses the village's lands, with sections of the apartheid wall displaying drawings depicting the villagers' suffering. On the other side, arches allow visitors to view the agricultural spaces, highlighting the importance and strength of agriculture in the village.
Visitors then proceed to the cultural center, which aims to bring returning refugees closer and facilitate cultural exchange among them. In the upper courtyard of the center, there are three water features inspired by the village square before the Nakba, which contained a well with three circular doors. From the courtyard, visitors move to the museum via stairs. The museum's circular shape is inspired by the explosion crater resulting from the village's bombardment. At the center of the museum, the explosion is depicted, with a water surface below containing fountains pointing upward, representing the number of martyrs and symbolizing eternal life.
Visitors then transition to the circular path above the commercial market. The path is circular with the Crusader castle at its center, emphasizing its importance and drawing attention to its symbolism of resilience and steadfastness against colonialism. On the other side, visitors can see the remains of Qaqun village, with the old village plan and significant landmarks highlighted, allowing them to explore.
This place symbolizes a new beginning for Qaqun village and the continuity of life on this land. "On this land, there is something worth living for..."
This project will not be an end but a new beginning for showcasing, learning, celebrating culture and heritage, and reinforcing the resilience of our people against ongoing ethnic cleansing, injustice, and killing.