Kurds in Palestine
Kurds in Palestine, (, : "Akrad Filisteen"), are Palestinians who are of Kurdish ancestry. The origins of majority of Palestinian Kurds is traced to the era of conquests of Kurdish Ayyubid dynasty during the crusades. The Ayyubid rulers settled many Kurdish tribes in Palestine in order to secure the borders of their empire. Among the major Kurdish settlements in Palestine are city of Hebron (al-Khalil), Jerusalem (al-Quds) and Shechem (Nablus). It is estimated that as much as one third of inhabitants of Hebron are of Kurdish origin where they have had their own quarters, named after them  such as Harat al-Akrad (quarter of the Kurds). There are also many Kurdish clans who came to Palestine at post-Ayyubid periods, especially under the Ottomans. The Kurds are the largest ethnic minority in the West Bank. History. The origins of majority of Palestinian Kurds is traced to the era of conquests of Kurdish Ayyubid dynasty during the crusades. The Ayyubid rulers settled many Kurdish tribes in Palestine in order to secure the borders of their empire. Among the major Kurdish settlements in Palestine are city of Hebron (al-Khalil), Jerusalem (al-Quds) and Nablus. There are also many  Kurdish clans who came to Palestine at post-Ayyubid periods, especially during Ottomans. Hebron. The Kurdish Muslim Saladin retook Hebron in 1187 – again with Jewish assistance according to one late tradition, in exchange for a letter of security allowing them to return to the city and build a synagogue there. The name of the city was changed back to "Al-Khalil". A Kurdish quarter still existed in the town during the early period of Ottoman rule. Richard the Lionheart retook the city soon after. Richard of Cornwall, brought from England to settle the dangerous feuding between Templars and Hospitallers, whose  rivalry imperiled the treaty guaranteeing regional stability stipulated with the Egyptian Sultan As-Salih Ayyub, managed to impose peace on the area. But soon after his departure, feuding broke out and in 1241 the Templars mounted a damaging raid on what was, by now, Muslim Hebron, in violation of agreements. Kurds in Hebron. Kurds in Hebron refers to Palestinians of Kurdish origin who settled in Hebron in the Ayyubid and self-identify today as Palestinians of Kurdish origin. Today the majority of the Hebron Kurds speak Arabic and live in the Kurdish quarter Harat Al-Akrad. It is estimated that  as much as one third of inhabitants of Hebron are of Kurdish origin. Clans and families. There are dozens of Kurdish-origin clans and families still could be identified due to preservation of their family and clan names. Among the well-known ones are: Language. Kurdish language was spoken by some Kurds in Ottoman Palestine as late as 1850s. Today, almost all Palestinian Kurds speak only Arabic due to isolation inside an Arabic-speaking geographical area.