alAuja

Al-Auja (Arabic: العوجا, also transliterated Al-Awja) is the name of several places in the Levant and neighboring regions. The toponym derives from the Arabic root awj, meaning “bend” or “crooked,” and is used for settlements in Arabic-speaking areas, often without shared origin aside from the common word.

In the West Bank, Al-Auja refers to a village in the Jericho Governorate, located in the Jordan Valley northeast of Jericho along the Jordan River. It is a rural community with an economy historically centered on agriculture and local trade. The village has been part of the various administrative regimes that have governed the region over the centuries, from Ottoman rule to the British Mandate and, in modern times, Palestinian governance within the Oslo framework.

In Jordan, the name Al-Auja is used by several small localities, including a locality in Mafraq Governorate in the northeastern part of the country. These communities are typically rural and sparsely populated, with economies rooted in agriculture and livestock, reflecting eastern Jordan’s semi-arid climate.

The term also appears in historical maps and records as a descriptive toponym for terrain features deemed crooked or curved, which may indicate natural bends in rivers or roads in the surrounding landscape. Because of the name’s common usage, precise identification depends on regional context.