Deir Isitya (Qalqilia)
The village of Deir Isitya (Qalqilia) was home to the Qasim al Ahmad family and was built during the reign of the Mamluks. It then became a Throne village during the Ottoman era. The village is a good case study of how town planning was conducted under the Mamluks with Ottoman additions.
In order to revitalize the area and to restore cultural heritage of the village, a women’s handicraft center, a community center and a visitor information center were built as part of a project by the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and the UNDP. Also an Olive oil museum was set up adjacent to the ancient olive oil press.