The specific category of land to which Marcus appears to refer in this instance, a classification inherited from the Ottomans, is "miri" land, or "land belonging to the Emir." Historically, individuals have acquired certain rights to miri land by doing two things: Cultivating the land continuously for ten years and then on that basis registering it with the land registry. Anyone satisfying these prescribed conditions was then provided documents certifying certain limited legal rights to the land. Similarly, individuals can lose those rights by ceasing cultivation for three years. (This is not land ownership as Americans understand it, since, for example, the rights in question may be passed on to familial heirs, but may not be bequeathed to non-relatives.)

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Note added at 42 mins (2007-05-09 14:08:56 GMT)
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בעבר – היה קיים הסיווג העותומני – מירי, מואת, מתרוכה, וואקף, ועוד.

סיווג הקרקע עדיין רשום בפנקסי המקרקעין.


http://216.239.59.104/search?q=cache:KjDEtwV1cqoJ:he.wikiped...
קרקע מסוג מירי- קרקע שהיא בבעלות המדינה ואזרחים שחיים בתחום הקרקע אינם יכולים לבצע שום שינוי בקרקע, אסור לבנות ואסור לנטוע גידולים חקלאיים אך יכלו להנות ולהשתמש ביבול החקלאי באותה הקרקע.

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Note added at 53 mins (2007-05-09 14:20:02 GMT)
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http://www.aguda4u.co.il/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=...
מירי – קרקע בבעלות ממשלתית (רקבה). ניתן היה לרכוש בה זכות שימוש והחזקה (תצרוף) על בסיס עבוד חקלאי פרטי של 10 שנים. לפי ס' 78לחוק העותמאני. עיקר הקרקע
הפרטית בארץ בעבר כפוף ל- "מחלול

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Note added at 59 mins (2007-05-09 14:25:41 GMT)
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http://www.btselem.org/Download/200205_Land_Grab_Eng.pdf
The Ottoman Land Law defines five types of possession or ownership of land....

Miri lands are those situated close to places of settlement and suitable for agricultural use. A person may secure ownership of such land by holding and working the land for ten consecutive years.
If a landowner of this type fails completely to farm the land for three consecutive years for reasons other than those recognized by the law (e.g., the landowner is drafted into the army, or the land lays fallow for agricultural reasons), the land is then known as makhlul.


The following classes of land existed according to the Ottoman Land Code, 1855: Wakf (land of Islamic endowments), mulk (private property in towns), miri (private land claimed by cultivation), matruk (land held in common by the village, or for public use - e.g. roads), mawat (all other land, which could be used by anyone with need. See paragraph 103 of the Ottoman Land Code). Coon, supra note 2, at 165.