Fuheis Explained

Official Name:Fuheis
Settlement Type:Town
Pushpin Map:Jordan
Pushpin Label Position:bottom
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in Jordan
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name: Jordan
Subdivision Type1:Governorate
Subdivision Name1:Balqa Governorate
Government Type:Municipality
Leader Title:Mayor
Leader Name:Omar Akroush
Established Title3:Municipality established
Established Date3:1962
Unit Pref:Imperial
Area Metro Km2:17
Population As Of:2021
Population Footnotes:[1]
Population Total:21,908
Population Blank1 Title:Ethnicities
Population Blank2 Title:Religions
Population Blank2:60% Greek Orthodox35% Catholics5% others, mainly Sunni Muslims
Timezone:GMT +3
Coordinates:32.0167°N 81°W
Grid Position:223/157
Elevation Ft:2425-3445
Elevation M:740-1050
Area Code:+(962)6

Fuheis (Arabic: الفحيص) is a Christian majority town in the central Jordanian governorate of Balqa. It lies in between Salt and Amman, at a distance of 6 and 13 kilometers respectively. .

The population of Fuheis was estimated to be 21,908 in 2021, 87% are Jordanian citizens, 95% are Christians, and with a male-to-female ratio of 52:48.

According to a national census in 2015, the population was 18,916, there were 4,658 households in the town with an average of 4.06 persons per household, lower than the national average of 4.82 persons per household.[2] The population of Fuheis increases in the summer, as many of the town's residents who have emigrated to the United States and Europe return for their summer vacations. The town's elevation renders it cool enough to spend the summer comfortably.[3]

Fuheis is also famous for its traditional habits from singing and dancing (dabke), and for depending on its farms.[4]

History

In 1838 Fuheis was noted located east of Al-Salt.[5]

The Jordanian census of 1961 found 2,946 inhabitants in Fuheis,[6] of whom 2,391 were Christians.[7]

Geography and Climate

The town has an elevation ranging from 740 to 1,050 meters (2,425 to 3,445 ft) above mean sea level,[8] and experiences a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen: Csa).[9] It receives approximately 500 mm (20 in) of precipitation annually, with occasional snowfall accumulating on its peaks.

Economy and development

Fuheis' economy has historically centered around agriculture. Most of Fuheis' population works in agriculture, trade, cement industry, service industry, and civil or office jobs. The olive industry is important to Fuheis' economy, along with orchards and vineyards. The cement factory - Jordan's largest - is by far the largest industry in Fuheis, employing about 70% of the town's population. Among its most important villages are al-Rahwa, Ras al-Jundi, and al-Suqariah, known for their farms and trees.[10]

In 2010, German researchers from the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research implemented a demonstration facility for decentralised wastewater technology in Fuheis. The project was handed over to the management of Al-Balqa` Applied University.[11]

Religion

Approximately 60% of the town's population belong to Greek Orthodox Church of Jerusalem, 35% are members of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. Sunni Muslims and Armenian Orthodox Christians make up the rest 5% of the population. The Latin Parish of Fuheis established a secondary school during the Ottoman Period in 1885. Students of this school learned Arabic, Religion and Math. The school has since expanded, remaining open until today.[12]

Heritage and archaeology

Archaeological excavations in Fuheis uncovered a circular building from white limestone which dates back to the Iron Age and the Byzantine age. This building was repurposed as a church in the Ayyubid and Mamluk periods, and within the building is a blueprint of the church in addition to a number of graves that were built in the church's land. The excavations suggest that the area's water sources may have drawn many to the region or that the settlement had a military purpose. The ruins are surrounded by small dug wells and enclosed water closets which were connected by a spout carved from rock. In the same area, excavators found a carving on basalt rock in Greek letters and crosses carved into limestone.[13]

Culture

Al-Rowaq

Fuheis' Rowaq Al-Balqa' district boasts hundred-year-old stone cottages in the old town, preserved by a local who bought an art gallery in the area and proceeded to buy several cottages near it, converting them to art-and-craft shops.[14] [15]

Fuheis festival

Fuheis Festival is an annually held event in Fuheis, and it is considered to be the second biggest festival in Jordan, after Jerash Festival.

They have celebrated their silver jubilee in 2016, where they have welcomed bands and artists from Jordan, Syria, Palestine and Lebanon to perform in concerts and poetry evenings.

Several artists and singers from across the region were invited to perform in the town, like: Wadih El Safi, Melhem Barakat, Sabah Fakhri, Fares Karam, Moeen Charif, Omar Al-Abdallat, George Kurdahi, Najwa Karam, and many more, and the variety of night events and activities attracts around 10,000 to 30,000 visitors yearly.

List of mayors of Fuhais

RankMayorTerm
1Fahad Sweiss1963-1964
2Essa Smairat1965-1967
3Fareed Akroush 1968-1971
4Yousuf Daoud 1972-1980
5Adolfo Sweiss1980-1984
6Kamal Daoud1985-1987
7Farouq Jraisat 1988-1992
8Jamal Hattar 1992-1994
9Anton Dayyat 1995-1999
10Hweishel Akroush 1999-2003
11Fuad Smairat 2003-2007
12Jeries Sweiss2007-2010
13 Hweishel Akroush2013-2017
14Jamal Hattar2017-2021
15Omar Akroush2022-present

See also

Bibliography

External links

32.0167°N 81°W

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Population Estimates for The End of 2021 . January 2022 . Department of Statistics, Jordan . 2021-12-14 . 2019-06-05 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190605160255/http://dosweb.dos.gov.jo/DataBank/Population_Estimares/PopulationEstimatesbyLocality.pdf . dead .
  2. Web site: The Population of the Kingdom by Administrative Divisions, According to the General Census of Population and Housing result 2015 . Department of Statistics, Jordan.
  3. Book: البزم . نضال . اطلس مدن الأردن . دارالأسرة للإعلام و دار عالم الثقافة للنشر.
  4. Web site: Fuheis municipality . 2009-11-21 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110722070733/http://www.fuheis.gov.jo/Pages/%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b3%d9%83%d8%a7%d9%86%d9%88%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%aa%d8%b1%d9%83%d9%8a%d8%a8%d8%a9.aspx . 2011-07-22 . dead .
  5. [Eli Smith|Smith]
  6. Government of Jordan, Department of Statistics, 1964, p. 14
  7. Government of Jordan, Department of Statistics, 1964, pp. 115–116
  8. Web site: تعرّف على ارتفاعات المناطق الأردنية عن سطح البحر . 2023-10-04 . www.arabiaweather.com . ar.
  9. Web site: Fuheis climate as Csa .
  10. Book: البزم . نضال . اطلس مدن الأردن . دارالأسرة للإعلام و دار عالم الثقافة للنشر.
  11. Web site: First German-Jordanian research and demonstration facility for decentralised wastewater technology opens in Jordan . Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research . Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research.
  12. Web site: Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish - Fuheis . Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem . 2020-06-14 . 2021-04-21 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210421095724/https://www.lpj.org/immaculate-heart-of-mary-parish-fuheis/ . dead .
  13. Book: البزم . نضال . اطلس مدن الأردن . دارالأسرة للإعلام و دار عالم الثقافة للنشر.
  14. Book: Teller . Matthew . Jordan . Rough Guides . 141.
  15. Web site: About us . Rowaq Al-Balqa Foundation for Arts.