3/3/11

Mamluk-Ottoman Jerusalem:

After Saladin conquered the city in 1187, the Mamluk period began.  During this time, Jerusalem became a religious center, because it was politically and militarily insignificant.  The Haram was developed and a massive construction of schools, hostels, and hospices occurred.  The Black Plague that swept Europe and Asia affected Jerusalem from 1351-1353.  The architecture that characterizes this period includes alternating red and white or black and white stones, domes, monumental entrances, and Muqarnas, or domes that include geometric patterns.  The Al-Madrasa al-Ashrafiyya is an Qur'anic school considered as the "third (Islamic) jewel of Jerusalem," built in 1482.

Nachmanides made an aliyah to Jerusalem in 1267, and he founded the Ramban Synagogue, attracting Jews to follow in his footsteps.  He played a role in developing Kabbalah, or Jewish Mysticism, which spiritualized Jerusalem and made the temple a symbol of the path to God.  So essentially, Kabbalah made the aliyah a spiritual journey towards God.  In 1517, the rising Ottoman empire led by Selim I defeated the Mamluks and took Jerusalem.  Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent (1520-1566) embarked on a variety of public works projects, repairing aqueducts and pools, rebuilding walls and markets.  Jewish refugees are also encouraged to settle in Jerusalem to help restore the city.  The holy places of the city were also restored.  The western wall was given to the Jews by Suleiman as a place of prayer, and it attracted a myriad of myths that emphasized its sacredness.  Early Jewish Zionism was symbolized by the journey back to Jerusalem, or the "Land of their Fathers," where the "Gate of Heaven" and the holiness of the Temple are located.