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The Mameluke Period (1250-1517 CE)
In 1260 the Mameluke rulers of Egypt conquered
Palestine and became the new masters of Jerusalem.
While Mameluke Jerusalem bore prime religious
importance, politically it was insignificant. The
Mamelukes were soldiers who had been brought to
Egypt as property of the ruler from the Central
Asian steppes. Since they had been brought into the
fold of Islam, they felt a deep commitment to that
religion. This was reflected in intensive building
in Jerusalem, which has left its mark on the Old
City to this day, particularly around the Temple
Mount.
The madrassas, hostels and charitable
institutions, are characterized by the alternate
use of red and white stones, geometric black and
white stone interlace ("ablaq"), softening of
angles by means ofstalactites and domes, and the
elaboration of facades with carved stone
"picture-frames.
The Ottoman Period (1517-1917 CE)
When the Ottoman Turks defected the Mameluke
forces in 1517, Palestine came under the rule of a
new empire that was to dominate the entire Near
East for the next 400 years. At the outset,
particularly during the reign of Sultan Suleiman,
known in Arabic as "the Law maker," but better
known as Suleiman the Magnificent, Jerusalem
flourished. Walls and gates, which had lain in
ruins since the Ayyubid period, were rebuilt. The
ancient aqueduct was reactivated and public
drinking fountains were installed. After Suleiman's
death, however, cultural and economic stagnation
set in, Jerusalem again became a small, unimportant
town. For the next 300 years its population barely
increased, while trade and commerce were frozen;
Jerusalem became a backwater.
Although the renewal of Jerusalem's Jewish
community is attributed to the activity of
Nahmanides, who arrived in the city in 1267, the
community's true consolidation occured in the 15th
and 16th centuries, with the influx of Jews who had
been expelled from Spain.
The 19th century witnessed far-reaching changes,
along with the gradual weakening of the Ottoman
Empire. Political change in Jerusalem and indeed
throughout the country was accelerated as part of a
policy of Europeanization. European institutions in
Jerusalem, particularly those of a religious
character, enjoyed growing influence. Foreign
consulates, merchants and settlers, grew in numbers
and in power.
These foreigners brought in their wake many
innovations: modern postal systems run by the
various consulates; the use of the wheel for modes
of transportation; stagecoach and carriage, the
wheelbarrow and the cart; and the oil-lantern.
These were among the first signs of modernization
in the city. By mid-century the first paved road
ran from Jaffa to Jerusalem; by 1892 the railroad
had reached the city.
For the first time in more than a thousand
years, settlement began outside the city walls. The
Jewish quarter of Mishkenot Sha'ananim was built,
followed by other Jewish and Muslim neighborhoods.
Of particular note is the European influence on the
city's appearance: European-style buildings, bell
towers that altered the skyline, and monumental
structures such as the Russian Compound and the
Notre Dame de France Pilgrims' Hostel.
The British Mandate (1917-1948 CE)
On 9 December 1917, as World War I neared its
end, Jerusalem surrendered to the British forces.
Two days later General Allenby entered the Jaffa
Gate on foot, at the head of a victory procession.
This act marked the end of four centuries of
Ottoman-Turk rule and the beginning of thirty years
of British rule. In July 1920 the Mandate civil
administration took over from the military. For the
first time since Crusader days Jerusalem was again
the capital of the whole country.
One of the most important signs of British times
was the start of city planning, to ensure the
preservation of Jerusalem's unique character. A
crucial law promulgated by the administration of
Sir Ronald Storrs, the city's first governor,
obligated the use of Jerusalem stone in all
building. This and other building regulations
continue to influence the city's appearance.
New Jerusalem expanded. Arab and Jewish
neighborhoods were built, including the "garden
neighborhoods" of Talpiot, Rehavia and Beit
Hakerem. A social and cultural infrastructure
emerged together with public institutions such as
the Hebrew University and Hadassah Hospital on
Mount Scopus, Jewish Agency headquarters, YMCA, the
King David Hotel and the Central Post Office.
But the overriding issue was the future of
Palestine in general and Jerusalem in particular.
Rising tension between Jews and Arabs erupted into
bloody riots in 1920 and 1929, followed by the Arab
revolt of 1936-1939. The unrest reached a peak as
the British Mandate drew to a close.
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