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Set of three Survey of Palestine maps, showing the contiguous area of Ascalon, Hamame, and El Majdal (shown as if joined in the first image), first drawn and printed in 1931 and further revised for the British Army in 1941 and 1942.
This set of maps is part of the Topocadastral Survey of Palestine, specifically covering the southern Gaza sub-district. Published in 1942, it consists of three joined sheets labeled Hamame, Ascalon (modern Ashkelon), and El Majdal (modern Majdal Shams). These maps are a detailed representation of the region’s geographic, topographic, and cadastral features as surveyed during the British Mandate period.
The maps were drawn and printed at the Survey Office in Jaffa in January 1931, with revisions overprinted to June 1942. They detail key features of the landscape, including villages, cultivated and uncultivated land, religious and cultural landmarks, transportation infrastructure (such as railways, roads, and tracks), and natural features like sand dunes and cliffs. Symbols on the maps denote features such as synagogues, mosques, cemeteries, wells, springs, and orchards. Additionally, land use is shown with distinct shading for groves of citrus, banana, and olive trees, as well as vineyards and forests. The sheets also include boundaries, such as international borders and district and sub-district divisions, emphasizing the administrative and geographic context of the time.
The maps labeled Hamame, Ascalon (Ashkelon), and El Majdal (Majdal Shams) cover areas that correspond to parts of modern-day southern Israel and the Gaza Strip. Specifically:
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Hamame Sheet: Includes areas near modern-day coastal regions around Ashdod, part of southern Israel.
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Ascalon Sheet: Focuses on the region around the city of Ashkelon in modern southern Israel, near the Mediterranean coast.
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El Majdal Sheet: Covers areas near present-day Majdal (Ashkelon’s historical name) and extends toward parts of the northern Gaza Strip, including areas surrounding Beit Hanoun.
Together, these maps represent a transitional region encompassing parts of modern southern Israel and the northern Gaza Strip, highlighting both historic Palestinian villages and areas that have undergone significant geopolitical changes since the mid-20th century.
