al-birwa was mentioned in the mid-11th century ce by the persian geographer nasir khusraw and was known to the crusaders as "broet". the village came under mamluk rule in the late 13th century, and in the early 16th century, it was conquered by the ottomans, who ruled it for four centuries. travelers' reports from the late 19th century documented that al-birwa had a mosque, a church and an elementary school for boys (a girls' school was built in 1942).