Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
V. ULUSLARARASI KUDÜS SEMPOZYUMU Kudüs’ün Hafızası: Öncü İsimler, Vakıflar ve Kurumlar, Ankara, Türkiye, 17 Nisan - 18 Mayıs 2026, ss.145-146, (Tam Metin Bildiri)
This study examines and analyzes the contributions of migrants from Anatolia to the scientific and political life of Jerusalem during the Mamluk period, viewing the city as one of the central urban hubs of Bilād al-Shām and a destination for military and scholarly elites from across the Islamic world—most notably from Anatolia. The research is grounded in the core premise that Anatolian migration to Jerusalem was neither incidental nor marginal; rather, it constituted a significant stream feeding into the ruling and scholarly elites that helped shape the city’s political, architectural, and educational profile during the seventh and eighth centuries AH (thirteenth–fourteenth centuries CE). In the political sphere, the study focuses on the qualitative transformation brought about by Sanjar al-Jawli, one of the figures originating from southern Anatolia who entered the Mamluk military establishment at an early stage and advanced through its ranks to attain the highest positions. By the first half of the fourteenth century, al-Jawli had reached the rank of Amīr Miʾa Muqaddam Alf (Commander of One Hundred, Leader of One Thousand), a title reflecting considerable military authority and political influence within the Mamluk state. He was appointed governor (nāʾib) of Gaza and subsequently entrusted with oversight of all Palestine during the reign of Sultan al-Nāṣir Muḥammad ibn Qalāwūn (d. 1340). The study highlights al-Jawli’s administrative and reformist role, particularly in Jerusalem and Hebron, where he initiated a series of major architectural and charitable projects. These included the construction of madrasas, khānqāhs, and endowed public institutions, revealing a deliberate political vision that perceived urban development and pious endowments as essential instruments for consolidating authority, promoting social welfare, and reinforcing religious legitimacy. In the scholarly domain, the research explores the presence of Anatolian scholars in Jerusalem’s educational institutions during the Mamluk era, including its madrasas, mosques, and religious lodges. It examines their intellectual and pedagogical roles and analyzes the extent of their integration into Jerusalem’s local scholarly milieu. Particular attention is given to the curricula and teaching methods they employed, encompassing religious sciences such as jurisprudence, ḥadīth, and Qurʾanic exegesis, as well as rational and linguistic disciplines. The study also addresses the structure of lessons, the practice of granting ijāzas, and the nature of scholarly interaction between Anatolian teachers, local Jerusalemite students, and those arriving from other regions. The study concludes that Anatolian contributions—both political and intellectual—played a significant role in enhancing Jerusalem’s status as a dynamic center of power and learning during the Mamluk period. Moreover, the interaction between these migrant elites and the city’s local environment produced a coherent model of political and scholarly partnership within the medieval Islamic world.
Keywords: Anatolia, Jerusalem, Mamluks.