Deir Hanna (Arabic: دير حنا, Hebrew: דֵיר חַנָּא) is a village, a local council, in the Northern District of Israel, located on the hills of the Lower Galilee, with population of 10,747, 90% are Arab-Muslims and the remaining 10% are Arab-Christians.
In Arabic, "Deir" is a convent or monastery. "Deir Hanna" means “the Convent of Hanna. But who was this Hanna? Well, there are several opinions regarding the origin of the name: either it is after a Christian saint, or a crusader army commander who conquered the place, or it was the name of the Jewish village Kfar Hanun or Kfar Yochana from the time of the Mishnah and the Talmud. According to Ze'ev Vilnai, the meaning of the name is Hana Monastery, named after Saint Hana, the grandmother of Jesus.
One of the attractions one can find in Deir Hanna is the remains of the palace and the citadel that was built in the early 18th century by Saad, the brother of the ruler of the Galilee, Daher al-Omer. Daher was the Zidani ruler who rebelled against the Turks and ruled the north of the country. During his time, some of the most beautiful Muslim buildings were built, the remains of which are preserved to this day.
The entrence to the palace was built with a wide path and columns with wooden arches decorated with hanging lanterns. The other side of the palace contains soldairs' rooms and in the wall there are narrow firing windows to protect the place. In the courtyard of the palace, parts of a modern textile house are now on display. The remains of the walls of the palace and the mosque are still built with yellow and white stones as it was originally. The village church is also built on the remains of the palace.
Photos: "The new mosque", Deir Hanna (Photos by Nir Topper)
