Lecture entitled “Jerusalem in the Ottoman Era” C1

(Video below the article)

Ottoman conquest

The Ottoman conquest of Jerusalem 1516 AD:

The Ottoman Empire was able to control the Levant, Following the Battle of Marj Dabiq 922 AH / 1516 AD, After Sultan Selim I reached Damascus, he sent ten thousand soldiers to conquer Jerusalem. and its entry in the same year, Then the first ruler of the Emirate of Jerusalem was installed from the Ottomans, Iskandar bin Arnos, The Sultan then visited it before heading to conquer Egypt, where he entered without a fight.

The actions of Sultan Selim after entering Jerusalem:

• Upon his arrival on the outskirts of Jerusalem, the people of Jerusalem came out of notables, scholars and dignitaries to receive and welcome him and handed him the keys to Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock. The Sultan then prostrated himself thanking God for this blessing.

• He began to visit the holy places, then reviewed their affairs and ordered his governors to regulate their conditions.

• He honored her family, courted them, and gave them rewarding gifts and gifts.

Administrative divisions

Administrative divisions of Jerusalem:

After the Ottoman Empire settled the order of Jerusalem, it proceeded to divide the Levant into three states, She: The wilayat of Aleppo, wilayat, Damascus and the wilayat of Tripoli, Each state was divided into provinces, Known as the sanjak or the brigades, Jerusalem was one of eleven brigades that belonged to the province of Damascus al-Sham, Each brigade had its own department, Each sanjak was also divided into a number of aspects, Each district includes a group of villages, The village was the smallest of the administrative units, At the beginning of the Ottoman rule, the Jerusalem Brigade included the following aspects: Jerusalem district, Hebron district, Bani Zeid district, and the hand of the hock, and the valley hand.

He continued in a lecture entitled “Jerusalem in the Ottoman Era” part 1

Administrative formations

Due to the length of the period in which the Ottomans ruled, which reached four centuries, it was natural that the administrative formations varied during these centuries, They are:

• Jerusalem Brigade (1516-1841).

• Wilayat Al-Quds Al-Sharif (1841-1864).

• Jerusalem Mutasarrifiya (1864-1869 AD).

• Independent Mutasarrifiya (1874-1918 AD), At this stage, it was divided into five districts: Hebron, Jerusalem, Gaza, Jaffa and Beersheba.

Powers of the Ruler of Jerusalem:

• Spreading security and safety and maintaining public order in the city of Jerusalem and its environs.

• Participation in the preparation of the convoy of Hajj Shami where the governor assigned the governor of the Jerusalem District to protect the convoy back and forth.

• Collect the required taxes from the population and secure their arrival in the capital.

• Ensure the stability of the economic conditions in the city by controlling markets and ensuring the flow of goods in them, Warning the owners of artisanal communities to abide by the applicable law.

Municipal Council

The first municipal council after the capital Istanbul:

• In honor of the religious status of Jerusalem, the Ottoman Empire formed the Municipal Council in 1863. This was done by order of the Ottoman Sultan. The council was formed from all the city’s sects under the chairmanship of Abdul Rahman Dajani.

• After the issuance of the Ottoman Municipalities Law in 1877, The formation of the Council began through election, Every Jerusalemite over the age of 25 has the right to vote and to pay his or her taxes.

• The Council is hereby composed of 12 members for a period of 4 years.

• The most prominent of those who held the position of Speaker of the Council were: Youssef Khalidi.

Military teams:

• Rural Military: These are the military divisions known as the Sabbahiya, where they were given a fiefdom of land in exchange for providing military services to the state.

• The regular military is based in the castles in Jerusalem and its environs, namely: Jerusalem Citadel and Hebron Citadel, And the castle of Beit Jibreen, and the castle of Solomon’s pools near Bethlehem

He continued in a lecture entitled “Jerusalem in the Ottoman Era” part 1

Other Jobs in Ottoman Empire

• Mufti: Sheikh Al-Islam stands at the head of the Iftaa Authority in the Ottoman Empire, He had deputies in all cities, The Hanafi Mufti was ahead of other schools of thought because the Ottoman Empire adopted the Hanafi official doctrine.

• Captain of Supervision: It is the person entrusted with supervision and follow-up of the issues of the family of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, inside Jerusalem, it is mentioned that the Ottoman Empire paid this family prominent attention, granting them rights and privileges, which were not given to others, and the supervision had a general captain based in Istanbul

• Sheikh of the Temple Mount: One of his duties is to supervise the Temple Mount, including the Dome of the Rock, Al-Aqsa Mosque, its courtyards and doors, and to ensure that its affairs are going well, so that religious service is achieved inside the Temple Mount.