Zoubia

Zoubia (alternate spelling Zubia or Zubya) is a village in Jordan with a population of around 7000. It is located in north-west Jordan and is part of the great Irbid Governorate. Zoubia is known for its abundant oak forests and its mountains, which are considered the highest in Irbid.

For most of known history, most Zoubians worked in agriculture. Chief crops included olives, grapes and figs, while some farmers focused on seasonal crops such as wheat, barley, lentils and tomatoes. The villagers also used to raise cattle, sheep and horses.

Nowadays, the majority of the Zoubia population have taken on other jobs to live, leaving very few to work in agriculture. Many have gotten an education to become doctors, engineers, lawyers, businessmen, intellectuals, writers and historians and are spread around the world.

Tourist destinations

Zoubia is home to several tourist destinations. The Zoubia Natural Reserve consists of rolling hills in a Mediterranean environment, covered in evergreen oaks, as well as strawberry and pistachio trees, among others. Fallow deer, mountain gazelles, stone martens, jackals, red foxes, striped hyenas, Persian squirrels, porcupines, wild boars, mountain hares, and wolves inhabit this area. Zoubia cave is about 3 km², and it is internally surrounded by stalagmite and stalactite columns. There is an old spring in one of Zoubia's valleys, which residents used to consider their only source for drinking water and for watering their livestock.

The Old Village is located on the slope of a high mountain, and contains traces of old houses and castles that were left by Byzantine, Roman, Umayyad, and Ottoman civilizations.