| al-Bikai'a | |
| Translit Lang1: | Arabic |
| Translit Lang1 Type: | Arabic |
| Translit Lang1 Info: | البقيعة |
| Translit Lang1 Type1: | Latin |
| Translit Lang1 Info1: | al-Buqei'a (official) |
| Type: | Village Cluster |
| Pushpin Map: | Palestine |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location of al-Bikai'a within Palestine |
| Coordinates: | 32.2648°N 35.4369°W |
| Grid Name: | Palestine grid |
| Subdivision Type: | State |
| Subdivision Type1: | Governorate |
| Subdivision Name1: | Tubas |
| Established Title: | Founded |
| Established Date: | 1500 BCE |
| Government Type: | Village Cluster (from 1996) |
| Unit Pref: | dunam |
| Area Total Km2: | 29.5 |
| Area Total Dunam: | 29250 |
| Population Total: | 1,850 |
| Population As Of: | 2006 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
Al-Bikai'a also spelled al-Buqei'a (Arabic: البقيعة) is a Palestinian village cluster in the Tubas Governorate of the State of Palestine, that includes the three hamlets of Khirbet al-'Atuf, al-Hadidiyah, and Khirbet Humsa al-Fawqa. The area spans 29,250 dunams, most of which is covered by Khirbet al-'Atuf. It is situated on a flat plain surrounded by mountains and with an altitude of 50 meters above sea level. The total population of al-Bikai'a was 227 in 1997 and 1,850 in 2005.[1] According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, al-Hadidya had a population of 183 inhabitants.[2]
The Abu Bakr as-Sadiq Mosque is the only mosque in al-Bikai'a and is located in Khirbet al-'Atuf. There is one school, and one kindergarten. Most residents go to nearby Tammun for education. About 72.3% of the inhabitants are literate with women comprising nearly two-thirds of the literate population. Agriculture constitutes 95% of the labor force while the remaining 5% work in Israeli construction.[1]
Al-Bikai'a has been settled since the Ottoman era of rule in Palestine. The villages in the area were abandoned including one named al-Sakaif. Eventually Arabs from nearby Tammun, mainly the Bani Odeh and Bsharat families settled in the area. Khirbet al-'Atuf was named after 'Atif, an Ayyubid soldier who died during the Crusades and al-Hadidiya was named after its black soil.[1]
Khirbet al-'Atuf is the only locality in the al-Bikai'a cluster that has a governing committee. It consists of four elected members and one paid employee. Its responsibilities include purchasing and distributing water to its residents, opening roads and providing electricity to the residents.