Syria's communities and civilizations – history, sites and heritage
Ottomans (Ottoman Syria)
العثمانيون
Civilizations and historical peopleshistorical
Selim I conquered Syria after defeating the Mamluks at Marj Dabiq in 1516; it remained Ottoman until the First World War. UNESCO notes that most of the built heritage of old Damascus dates from after the Ottoman conquest. This is a historical empire; Turkmen and other communities are treated separately.
After 1516 Syria was organised as one eyalet and divided in 1549 into the eyalets of Damascus and Aleppo; the Tanzimat law of 1864 replaced them with smaller vilayets. The Damascus citadel served as Janissary barracks from the 17th century.
Sources and details
Ottoman monuments include the Sulaymaniyya Takiyya by Mimar Sinan (1554–1559), the Sinan Pasha mosque (1590), the Khusrawiyya (1547) and Adiliyah (1566) mosques of Aleppo, and the Azm Palace built in 1749 for the governor As'ad Pasha al-Azm.
Ottoman rule ended with the First World War and the 1918 Sinai and Palestine campaign; the last Ottoman sultan, Mehmed VI, is buried in the cemetery of the Sulaymaniyya Takiyya.
Sites connected with this community 10
- Al-Adiliyah MosqueAleppo, Aleppo · Islamic heritage
Adiliyah mosque, Aleppo (1566).
- Khusrawiyya Mosque (and madrasa)Aleppo, Aleppo · Islamic heritage
Khusrawiyya, first Ottoman mosque of Aleppo (1547).
- Tomb of Suleyman ShahAshme (Esme), c. 22 km west of Kobani (since Feb 2015), Aleppo · Islamic heritage
Tomb venerated as that of Suleyman Shah, ancestor of the Ottoman dynasty.
- Al-Azm PalaceDamascus · Historic architecture
Azm Palace, Damascus (1749), now Museum of Arts and Popular Traditions.
- Ancient City of DamascusDamascus · Historic architecture
Old Damascus, mostly built after the Ottoman conquest.
- Azm Palace – Museum of Arts and Popular TraditionsDamascus (Old City), Damascus · Museums
Museum of Arts and Popular Traditions in the Azm Palace.
- Citadel of DamascusDamascus · Castles & fortresses
Citadel used as Janissary barracks from the 17th century.
- Sinan Pasha Mosque (al-Sinaniyya)Damascus, Damascus · Islamic heritage
Sinan Pasha mosque (1590).
- Tekkiye Mosque / Sulaymaniyya TakiyyaDamascus, Damascus · Islamic heritage
Sulaymaniyya Takiyya by Mimar Sinan; burial place of Mehmed VI.
- Khalid ibn al-Walid MosqueHoms, Homs · Islamic heritage
Present Ottoman building of the Khalid ibn al-Walid mosque (1912).
These categories describe history, language and faith – not exclusive identities. Many Syrians belong to several, and some names refer to civilizations of the past.