Nitzana (Hafir el Auja), ruins of the German-Ottoman hospital
At around 1900, the Ottomans started to build a police post to serve as a administrative centre in the former settlement Nitzana, now called Hafir el Auja. Parts of the ancient ruins were used to construct buildings for the Ottoman settlement. Within the fort, the Ottomans started approx. in 1906 to construct a serail/palace but due to lack of material and funds only achieved to build a bit more than the foundation.
In preparation of the planned German-Ottoman advance against the Suez Canal, wells and water cisterns were build between Be’er Sheva and El Arish as well as simple roads. Further, it was given order to build a hospital on the foundation of the palace located on Tel Nitzana in End of 1914.
By July 1916, the German-Ottoman hospital was not yet finished but already operating. Earlier, in February or March 1916, 4 Borromean sisters (Christian Sisters of Mercy of St Borromeo) were employed in the hospital as nurses. The hospital was closed with the withdrawal of the Ottoman forces in March 1917 to Be’er Sheva.
In summer 1917, the area became part of the British mandate and the former Ottoman garrison Hafir el Auja was used as prison camp until 1948. According to the United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine, the area was planned to become part of the Arab state and in 1948 the Egyptian Army used the area and the Ottoman buildings as a military base.
Despite this plan Auja was captured in December 1948 by the Israeli 89th Mechanized Commando Battalion in the so called Battle of Auja al-Hafir during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. During the fighting Israeli airplanes bombed the Egypt military base in Auja. Damages of the battle can still be seen in the ruins, e.g. on the old German-Ottoman hospital.
Nitzana (Hafir el Auja), ruins of the German-Ottoman hospital
At around 1900, the Ottomans started to build a police post to serve as a administrative centre in the former settlement Nitzana, now called Hafir el Auja. Parts of the ancient ruins were used to construct buildings for the Ottoman settlement. Within the fort, the Ottomans started approx. in 1906 to construct a serail/palace but due to lack of material and funds only achieved to build a bit more than the foundation.
In preparation of the planned German-Ottoman advance against the Suez Canal, wells and water cisterns were build between Be’er Sheva and El Arish as well as simple roads. Further, it was given order to build a hospital on the foundation of the palace located on Tel Nitzana in End of 1914.
By July 1916, the German-Ottoman hospital was not yet finished but already operating. Earlier, in February or March 1916, 4 Borromean sisters (Christian Sisters of Mercy of St Borromeo) were employed in the hospital as nurses. The hospital was closed with the withdrawal of the Ottoman forces in March 1917 to Be’er Sheva.
In summer 1917, the area became part of the British mandate and the former Ottoman garrison Hafir el Auja was used as prison camp until 1948. According to the United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine, the area was planned to become part of the Arab state and in 1948 the Egyptian Army used the area and the Ottoman buildings as a military base.
Despite this plan Auja was captured in December 1948 by the Israeli 89th Mechanized Commando Battalion in the so called Battle of Auja al-Hafir during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. During the fighting Israeli airplanes bombed the Egypt military base in Auja. Damages of the battle can still be seen in the ruins, e.g. on the old German-Ottoman hospital.