MY ISRAEL:
The Golden Age of Islam began in 622 C.E. when Mohammed and his followers moved from Mecca to Medina, & according to most but not all historians lasted until siege of Bagdad by the Mongols in 1258. The Golden Age was a period of cultural, economic & scientific flourishing & the Islamic empire stretched from the borders of India, through Persia and the Middle East, along the north coast of Africa & into Spain. As with many societies, affluence very often leads to idleness. As early as the mid 9th century, the Arabs began to abduct young boys, mostly of Turkic or Caucasian ethnicity, in order to build a slave army to do their bidding. Despite their origins, these young abductees underwent intense military training, had access to the finest education, became devout Muslims & often had a higher social standing than local Arab population. The inevitable occurred and these slave soldiers known as the Mamluks, grabbed the reins of power in 1250 signifying the start of their sultanate.
To understand the relationship that existed between Jew and Muslim during the Mamluk period, which in the Holy Land began in 1291, forty-one years after the start of the first Mamluk sultanate, one has to go back in time to the Crusader Period (1099 – 1291). Putting it mildly, both Jew & Muslim were less than enamored with the Crusader presence in the Holy Land. Due to this shared hatred, the legal conditions of the Jews during the Mamluk Sultanate, though far from ideal, were still superior to those of their fellow Jews in contemporary Europe.
The Mamluks were one of the most important dynasties in the history of medieval Islam & were responsible for stopping the westward expansion of the Mongol empire & the eradication of the Crusader presence in the Holy Land.
In 1255, the Mongols under the leadership of Haluga Khan, the grandson of Genghis Khan, sought to expand the Mongol Empire into the Middle East. After the Mongols subdued the Islamic power centers of Bagdad & Syria, the Islamic power base relocated to Cairo. Consequently Haluga Khan wanted to continue south through the Holy land & attack Egypt. The Mongol advance did not however materialize, as they were defeated in 1260 by the Mamlukes at the Battle of Ain Jalut, which took place in the Jezreel Valley near the Harod spring, thus halting the westward expansion of the Mongol empire.
Jerusalem fell into Mamluk hands in 1260. The Mamluks embarked on a policy of destroying all ports along the Mediterranean coast to prevent the Crusaders from returning. In 1265 the port cities of Caesaria & Arsuf were destroyed & in 1291 the Mamlukes besieged & conquered Acco, the last Crusader stronghold in the Holy land. The capture of Acco signified the end of the Crusader period & the start of the Mamluk period, which ended in 1516 with the arrival of the Ottoman Turks.
MAMLUK ARCHITECTURE:
Numerous structures that incorporate architectural elements unique to Mamluk architecture are witness to their past presence in the Holy Land, especially in Jerusalem.
These architectural elements include the following:
Ablaq: Alternating light and dark courses of stone masonry.
Mastaba: An external bench or benches usually positioned at the entrance to a building.
Muqarnas: Stalactite type decoration displayed in a shell shape form over the entrance door to a building.
Tiraz: An inscription with details about the builder & financier of a structure.
Mashrabiya: Wooden shutters surrounding balconies that had a dual purpose. The shade it created cooled the interior of the building & in addition allowed women to see the outside world without been seen.
Fenestration: Iron bars in the form of a grid in front of window openings.
Mausoleum: an elaborate tomb.
Minarets, the most predominant element of mosques, are usually round in form. Occasionally a square minaret appears revealing that the Mamluks built it.
The Mamluks erected many structures throughout the country. The following are two such examples in the city of Ramle.
Jindas Bridge, also known as Baybars Bridge. Built in 1273 C.E. & still in use today.
The White Tower built in 1318 C.E. It is 30 meters in height & served as a watch-tower. From its apex, one is able to view the entire Mediterranean coast in the west. The view to the east encompasses the Judean Mountains & Samaria.
Ron Traub (Tour Guide & Architect).
Website: rontraub-tours.com
Photo’s: from the internet
Sketches: Ron Traub
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