Az-Zawiya, Salfit

Zawiya appeared in the 1596 Ottoman tax registers as being in the Nahiya of Jabal Qubal, part of the Sanjak of Nablus. It had a population of 4 households, all Muslim. The villagers paid a fixed tax-rate of 33.3% on agricultural products, including wheat, barley, fruit trees, goats and beehives, in addition to occasional revenues; a total of 800 akçe,[7]

In 1838, Edward Robinson noted it as a village, es-Zawieh, in the Jurat Merda district, south of Nablus.[8]

Victor Guérin visited the village in 1870, and described it as having about 200 inhabitants and a small mosque.[9] In 1882, the PEF's Survey of Western Palestine (SWP) described the village as being of moderate size, "probably an ancient place, having rock-cut tombs to the south."[10]

In the 1922 census of Palestine, conducted by the British Mandate authorities, Zawiya (called: Zawiyeh) had a population of 398, 396 Muslims and 2 Christians,[11] both Orthodox,[12] while in the 1931 census it had 122 occupied houses and a population of 513, all Muslim.[13]

In the 1945 statistics the population was 720, all Muslims,[14] while the total land area was 11,516 dunams, according to an official land and population survey.[15] Of this, 964 were allocated for plantations and irrigable land, 2,055 for cereals,[16] while 41 dunams were classified as built-up (urban) areas.[17]

• 
  Az-Zawiya 1941 1:20,000
• 
  Az-Zawiya 1945 1:250,000

In the wake of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, and after the 1949 Armistice Agreements, Az-Zawiya came under Jordanian rule.

The Jordanian census of 1961 found 1,170 inhabitants.[18]

Since the Six-Day War in 1967, Az-Zawiya has been under Israeli occupation.

After the 1995 accords, 9.5% of village land was classified as Area B, the remaining 90.5 % as Area C.[19]

Israel confiscated 662 dunams of Zawiya land in order to establish an Israeli quarry to the west of the town.[20] The quarry, (also called the Nahal Raba quarry, and Mazor Atiqa), is now isolated from az-Zawiya and Rafat behind the West Bank barrier in the Seam Zone.[20] A local subsidiary of HeidelbergCement now operates the quarry.[21][22]

In 2004, one Israeli, one Palestinian were arrested and 40 were wounded in anti-wall protest at Az-Zawiya,[23] and 130 patient "children, women, old people and young men" were treated for gas inhalation.[24]

The Israeli outpost Magen Dan was established after settlers forcefully seized 76 dunums of village land from Zawiya.[25]

Agriculture is the town's main economic sector with olives, figs, almonds, lentils and wheat being the primary crops. There are over 2,700 dunams of land making up az-Zawiya's jurisdiction, of which 900 is built-up area.[4] Sheep is the main livestock grazed in az-Zawiya. There are also small industries such as sewing, carpentry and metal-working. There are over 120 shops in the town. The Second Intifada has drastically decreased revenue from agricultural exports to Israel and Jordan, slashing prices in half.[26]

Az-Zawiya is governed by a municipal council whose members are elected every four years. The town has been a municipality since 1996. Mayor Taleb Raddad (Abu al-Adeeb) has been elected mayor in each local election, serving for three terms. Az-Zawiya has two medical clinics, two boys' schools and two girls' schools.[26] The town will be enclosed on four sides with the completion of the separation barrier forming the az-Zawiya enclave.[27]

In 2001 Israeli settlers raided the area destroying 25 dunams of olive groves contiguous to Highway 5.[28]