The Cultural Role of Ottoman Bayt al-Maqdis in the Developments of West Asia: The Impact of Interfaith Relations on the Formation of the City’s Political Identity

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 PhD student, Department of History and Archaeology, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.

2 Assistant Professor, Department of History, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran.

3 Assistant Professor, Department of History and Archaeology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

This study analyzes how inter-religious relations influenced the formation and transformation of the political identity of Bayt al-Maqdis throughout the four centuries of Ottoman rule (1516-1917). Context and Objective: As a city of strategic and religious significance, Bayt al-Maqdis transitioned from a stable imperial center to a focal point of international conflict during the Ottoman period. The primary objective of this paper is to explain this transition by examining the pivotal role of the relationships among the Muslim, Christian, and Jewish communities. Methodology: Employing a historical-analytical approach with a focus on primary sources, particularly the records of the Sharia Court of al-Quds (sijillāt al-mahkama al-shar'iyya), this research investigates the legal, social, and political mechanisms governing these interactions. Findings: The findings indicate that the city's political identity evolved through two distinct phases. During the classical period (16th-18th centuries), the millet system and the judicial authority of the Sharia Court provided a framework for a "managed coexistence," which consolidated Ottoman politico-cultural hegemony. However, in the late period (19th century), influenced by factors such as the Tanzimat reforms, the political intervention of European powers under the pretext of protecting minorities, and the competition among modern educational institutions (missionary and state-sponsored), inter-religious relations became intensely politicized. Conclusion: This study argues that the political identity of Bayt al-Maqdis was not static but was a dynamic construct shaped by the dialectic between the empire's internal order and external pressures. The politicization of inter-religious relations was the key factor in transforming the city's identity from a local-imperial one to a contested, international one.

Keywords

References

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Mesopotamian Political Studies
Volume 4, Issue 3 - Serial Number 12
December 2025
Pages 465-493

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History

  • Receive Date: 19 September 2025
  • Revise Date: 25 November 2025
  • Accept Date: 30 November 2025

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