al-Mirr

Al-Mirr was a village located on flat terrain in the central coastal plain, on the southern bank of the al-‘Awja River. A small branch railway line connected it to the main line running between Ras al-‘Ayn and the colony of Petah Tikva to the west. The village was also linked by road to nearby villages such as Ras al-‘Ayn (the site of the Roman-era town of Antipatris). Al-Mirr was founded during the reign of Ottoman Sultan Mahmud II (1808–1839), and was therefore also known as "Al-Mahmoudiyya."

By the late 19th century, Al-Mirr was described as a mud-brick village marked by a mill near the river. During the British Mandate, it was classified as a farm (mazra’a) in the Palestine Index Gazetteer. Its population was entirely Muslim, most of whom worked in agriculture, though some were employed in the transportation sector. The villagers primarily cultivated citrus and olives on lands stretching east and west of the village. In 1944–45, a portion of village land was allocated to citrus and banana groves, while 31 dunums were used for grain cultivation. Remnants of a Turkish-era bridge are visible at the edge of the village site.

Occupation and Ethnic Cleansing

According to Israeli military intelligence reports, the residents of Al-Mirr left on February 3, 1948, due to a state of "general panic." The village's location northeast of Petah Tikva and surrounded by several Jewish colonies made it a perceived target in the early stages of the war. In late 1947 and early 1948, Arab villages situated between Tel Aviv and Hadera came under joint attack by Haganah and Irgun forces.

The New York Times, citing a British Army statement from mid-May, reported that Jewish forces attacked Al-Mirr (erroneously referred to as Antipatris) around that time. It is likely that the May 13 attack was part of an Irgun-led raid into the Triangle area, involving two armored columns.

The Village Today

All that remains of Al-Mirr are a few large, abandoned houses overgrown with tall thorny plants, some wells, and unused village roads. One house, built of concrete, is two stories tall with a flat roof and rectangular doors and windows. Another large concrete house displays a more sophisticated architectural style, featuring three arched doorways on the lower facade. The central door leads to a raised corridor that divides the lower floor. The upper floor is set back from the facade and includes three arched windows, with the roofline decorated with a serrated cornice.

Also remaining is a stone-lined well, now deteriorating, and several interior village paths. Branches of the railway line still cross parts of the site, along with a few palm trees. The surrounding lands have been converted into fruit orchards by Israeli farmers

Israeli Settlements on Village Lands

No Israeli settlements were established directly on Al-Mirr’s lands. However, the settlement of Neve Barak, founded in 1951, lies two kilometers northeast of the village site, on land belonging to the nearby Palestinian village of Jaljuliya, which remains inhabited.