Abirim

Abirim
Metsad Abirim, a ruin of tower or mausoleum near Abirim
Abirim
Coordinates: 33°2′22.45″N 35°17′14.67″E / 33.0395694°N 35.2874083°ECoordinates: 33°2′22.45″N 35°17′14.67″E / 33.0395694°N 35.2874083°E
Council	Ma'ale Yosef
Region	Galilee
Founded	1980
Population (2014)[1]	183

Abirim (Hebrew: אַבִּירִים, lit. Knights) is a communal settlement in northern Israel. Located in the Upper Galilee, three kilometres from Ma'alot-Tarshiha, it falls under the jurisdiction of Ma'ale Yosef Regional Council. In 2014 it had a population of 183. It is located in the middle of a natural oak forest bordering the Nahal Kziv nature reserve.

History

Abirim was established in 1980 and named for the nearby ruins of Metsad Abirimm (Fortress of the Knights). The land previously belonged to the Arab village of Dayr al-Qassi,^[2] which was depopulated in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War.

Culture

Abirim hosts an annual wine festival showcasing the wines of local vintners.^[3] Many of the residents run bed and breakfast establishments.^[4]

See also

• Israeli wine

References

1. 2014 populations Israel Central Bureau of Statistics
2. Khalidi, Walid (1992), All That Remains, Washington D.C.: Institute for Palestine Studies, ISBN 0-88728-224-5
3. The wine festival at Mitzpe Abirim
4. 5 stops in Abirim, Haaretz