The city of Ramla, the only city in pre-state Israel founded originally by Arabs, was built on the sand dunes in the days of the reign of the Caliph the son of Abd al-Malik of the Omeya Family (who reigned from 705-715), hence its full name in Arabic: Medinat Al Ramla, meaning city of sand dunes. Ramla was designated to serve as the capital of Janad (district) of Palestine which extended from the northern Negev all the way to the Carmel. The person in charge of its construction was Sulayman, brother of Al Walid, the then governor of the district. It should be noted that the construction of Ramla was part of the Omeyan dynasty�s move to set up new centers. These were cities that were established at major junctions and which lowered other cities from their status. The construction of Ramla was at the expense of the neighboring city Lod, which subsequently became a small and sparsely populated settlement, until its destruction in a severe earthquake in 460. In 1068 Ramla was one of the largest and most important cities in the �Balad Al Sham� district (Greater Syria) and in the Islamic Caliphate in general. Its political status is evidenced by the fact that its governors were normally counted among the dignified nobility, affiliated with the ruling dynasty of that period. Testimonials, sources and documents of the Cairo Geniza depict Ramla as a prominent and significant city of the Land of Israel in the 8th-11th centuries. Indeed, it was not crowned with the halo of sanctity as was Jerusalem, nonetheless, by virtue of its economic and political magnitude, and even as the center of Muslim public opinion, it prevailed over the historical capital of the Land of Israel and other major centers the likes of Tiberias, Hebron, Acre, Ashkelon and Gaza.
Central City
Ramla quickly developed into one of the largest cities of the Muslim world and one of the Land of Israel�s most important cities. Sources describing Ramla say that its surface area is one mile by one mile, in other words over 2,000 dunams (about 500 hectares). The number of inhabitants increased to 50,000. Travelers who visited the city at the time depicted the breathtaking landscape and its beautiful houses as well as the markets abundant with goods. In its town planning it is reminiscent of a modern city: its streets are straight and wide, and at the center two main roads intersect, where the markets of the city operated. Adjunct to the intersection of these roads stood a magnificent mosque of which it is said: �there is no mosque more exquisite than this one in the entire world of Islam and it is called the White Mosque�. Next to it stood the palace of the city�s governor. Sulayman, in order to supply water to the inhabitants who filled the new city, built a water channel that supplied the city from the sources at the bottom of Tel Gezer. The water was collected in several underground reservoirs that were built on the mosque grounds. Later, in 789, an underground reservoir was added on the east side of the city. This reservoir, which remains in its entirety, and collects water to this day, is currently known by the name of �the Pool of Arches�.
Diverse Industries
It is mentioned that Ramla�s inhabitants gained a �prosperous livelihood�. Its neighboring rural areas supplied the inhabitants with a wide variety of produce. In the city itself, there were diverse industries that manufactured olive oil, soap, fruit conserves, earthenware, and fabrics. Ramla was an international hub of trade and large scale banking and money changing services developed there. Economic prosperity brought with it burgeoning scholastic and cultural activity. Sources mention over 150 Muslim religious scholars who were active in the city.
From the outset of its existence, all ethnic groups settled in Ramla: Muslims, Christians, Jews and Samaritans. According to documents from the Cairo Geniza, in the 11th century, the city�s Jewish community was the largest and most prosperous of the communities of the Land of Israel. Ramla was home to both Karaite and Rabbinic Jews; the latter abided by the Jewish laws of the land of Israel (�Yerushalmim�) and there were also those who abided by the Babylonian Jewish law.
Earthquake
Many hardships beset the city in the 11th century: in 1024 a Bedouin raid on the city wreaked havoc and destruction and took a heavy toll in victims. Nine years later, an earthquake hit the city and other cities of the Land of Israel, destroying many of its buildings. An even more severe blow was the earthquake that hit in 1068 and focused on Ramla. The city was utterly destroyed and the number of victims reached 15,000-25,000. The survivors abandoned the ruins.
Ramla stood abandoned and destroyed for four years. Turkish soldiers who were under the authority of the Seljuk Dynasty, decided to make it their center of rule in Israel. Due to the many ruins, they preferred to reestablish it, on an empty adjunct plot of land.
The city was restored, but its area was much smaller. A new citadel was built there as well. However, the city could never regain its former glory. The Turkish preferred to relocate their district capital to Jerusalem, where they had taken over that same year. Ramla, in its new site, remained a small city that lost its status. The city received a further blow when its residents revolted against the Seljuk rule in 1077 and later fled for fear of revenge on the part of the Turkish governor, Atsiz. The city was resettled following the destruction, however, from the point onward the residents would continue to abandon it whenever danger lurked. In 1099, when the First Crusades approached, the Muslim Guard escaped from the city, and with him all the city�s residents. This was the first city of the Land of Israel to be conquered by the Crusaders.
