Syria's communities and civilizations – history, sites and heritage
Ismailis
Self-designation: الإسماعيلية (al-Ismāʿīliyya)
الإسماعيليون
Religious communities
Ismaili Shia Muslims are concentrated in Salamiyah (Hama), the early centre of the Ismaili mission from which the Fatimid caliphate arose, and live in smaller numbers in the coastal mountain range south of the main Alawite areas. The Ismailis of Salamiyah follow the Nizari Qasim-Shahi imams (the Aga Khans); Salamiyah is also a pilgrimage place for Dawoodi Bohras (Musta'li).
In the 9th century a descendant of Ja'far al-Sadiq settled in Salamiyah under concealed identity and made it the base of the Ismaili da'wa; Abdallah al-Mahdi, founder of the Fatimid caliphate, led the movement from there before leaving around 902. In the mid-12th century the Nizari branch acquired a chain of fortresses in the coastal mountains, with Masyaf as their seat, until the Mamluk sultan Baybars annexed them in 1270-73.
Sources and details
After the annexation the Ismailis kept limited autonomy as Mamluk subjects. In 1849 the emir of Qadmus obtained an Ottoman firman to resettle Salamiyah with his followers; the community later turned to the Qasim-Shahi imams led by Aga Khan III, who invested in schools in the town. Dawoodi Bohra visitors built a mosque beside the grave of Imam Isma'il in Salamiyah in 1991.
The U.S. State Department notes that Ismailis are most concentrated in Salamiyah and groups them with Alawites and Twelver Shia at about 13 percent of the population. Salamiyah is described as the largest Ismaili population centre in the Arab world.
Sites connected with this community 11
- Abu QubaysHama · Castles & fortresses
Abu Qubays, listed among the Nizari fortresses.
- Imam's mausoleum (qabr mubarak associated with Ahmad al-Wafi), SalamiyahSalamiyah, Hama · Other religious sites
Blessed grave associated with the early imam Ahmad al-Wafi.
- Masyaf Castle (Nizari Ismaili seat)Masyaf, Hama · Other religious sites
Seat of the Syrian Nizari state.
- Mausoleum of Abdallah (descendant of Ja'far al-Sadiq), SalamiyahSalamiyah, Hama · Other religious sites
Fatimid-era mausoleum in Salamiyah (inscription 1088).
- Mosque and grave of Imam Isma'il, SalamiyahSalamiyah, Hama · Other religious sites
Grave of Imam Isma'il with the mosque built by Dawoodi Bohras in 1991.
- Rusafa CastleHama · Castles & fortresses
Rusafa castle near Masyaf, listed among the Syrian Nizari fortresses.
- ManiqaLatakia · Castles & fortresses
Maniqa, one of the Nizari fortresses.
- Qulay'ah CastleLatakia · Castles & fortresses
Quliya (Qulay'ah), one of the Nizari fortresses.
- Al-Kahf CastleTartus · Castles & fortresses
Al-Kahf, one of the Nizari fortresses of the coastal mountains.
- Aleika CastleTartus · Castles & fortresses
Ulayqa (Aleika), a Nizari fortress later rebuilt.
- KhawabiTartus · Archaeological sites
Khawabi, one of the Nizari fortresses.
Further sites (not yet in the atlas)
- Qadmus castle قلعة القدموسTartus
Al-Qadmus was one of the Syrian Nizari fortresses and later the seat of the emir who resettled Salamiyah in 1849; no record in the atlas data.
These categories describe history, language and faith – not exclusive identities. Many Syrians belong to several, and some names refer to civilizations of the past.