Jenin

Jenin Is originally build on the old Arabic canaanite city which was called ”Ayn Jenim”. This name mean the head of paradise. In the roman empire Jenin was called ”Ginae”, which was belonging to the roman commune of Sebastney.
It is told that Jesus has been in or passed throe Jenin several times on his way to Jerusalem and Nazereth.
In the time of Saladin Al Ayubi, approx. In 1187 there was a castle in or near Jenin. Saladins army took over this city in one day, and a lot of things was taken away from Jenin this day. Here it is told that Saladin once slept in Jenin while he was going from Jerusalem to Damascus.

In 1280 the khan which is still to be seen in Jenin was built. The khan an arabic name for hotel, also included the local bath and several shops in the same building.

It is told that among the cities which was infected with the great sickness. All the people who used to live in Jenin died. There was only one person a old man who was not infected.

In the Mamalik ruling time Jenin was the central postoffice center between Gaza and Damascus.

The most important thing that happened in Jenin in the time of the British mandate ruling time was killing of the general of Jenin ”general Muffit”. He was known for his hate against the Arabs. He was killed in 1938 by the Palestinian ”Ali Abu Ayn” who originally was from Abu Al Rob family in the village of Qabatia near Jenin. The killer escaped from the British soldiers and police, who took this advantage to blow up the shopping centre and several houses in Jenin, and took many innocent people in jail.
In 1948 there was a big battle also called the battle of Jenin. The Jews had taken over the villages: Zirin, Nuris, Al Mazar, Sandalah, Al Jalamah, Al Muqaiblah, Faqua, Ar rana and was on their way to Jenin. The Jews who was 4000 man surrounded Jenin. Inside Jenin there was 300 men from the Palestinian freedom fighters and Iraqi soldiers. They had to fight from the police centre. After that the Jews had taken over the major of the city grenades rained over the police centre where the Palestinian and Iraqi soldiers were surrounded. The Jews had won this battle if the help from the Iraqi army of 500 men and 100 Palestinian volunteers did not arrive. Here the Jewish attack went to be a defence which made that the Jews had to leave Jenin in a hurry.
The injured and killed of the Jews was 1241 man. And the Arabs lost 100 man.
Before that the Iraqi soldiers went back to Iraq the put up a memorial for their dead comrades between Jenin-qabatia and Nablus