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THE ḤAWĀKĪR OF NAZARETH: THE HISTORY AND CONTEMPORARY FACE OF A CULTURAL ECOLOGICAL INSTITUTION

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 September 2018

Nisreen Mazzawi  and
Amalia Sa'ar
Nisreen Mazzawi
Affiliation:
Nisreen Mazzawi is a PhD Candidate in the Department of Anthropology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel; e-mail: [email protected]
Amalia Sa'ar
Affiliation:
Amalia Sa'ar is a Senior Lecturer in and Chair of the Department of Anthropology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel; e-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

This article documents the ḥawākīr of Nazareth. Once widespread in the city, these traditional domestic gardens were integral to households of all economic backgrounds. They served as a space for work and socializing, constituted a center of collective (extended family) life, and provided a wide diversity of crops. However, in recent decades ḥawākīr have disappeared rapidly as new houses were built overtop them and residents’ tastes changed. Today people prefer gardens with green lawns and flowers. Intended strictly for recreation and ornament, this new kind of garden acts as a marker of privacy and economic success. We use ethnographic data to provide detailed descriptions of historical and contemporary examples of the traditional garden. The analysis dwells on the resonances between changing practices around and meanings of ḥawākīr and the changing character of the urban landscape, on the value of ḥawākīr as sites of attachment and identity, and on the potential of their revival to generate urban sustainability.

Keywords

anthropologyecologyenvironmentgardensIsrael/Palestineurban studies
Type
Article
Information
International Journal of Middle East Studies , Volume 50 , Special Issue 3: Environment and Society in the Middle East and North Africa , August 2018 , pp. 537 - 556
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2018 

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References

NOTES

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