E-Book Overview
A major issue in 19th-century world politics, the question of Christianity's holiest shrines in Jerusalem is covered by a large body of literature. Most of this scholarship, however, concentrates on the period when the question of the Holy Sites has already evolved from a domestic Ottoman problem into an all-European issue. Much less is known about this problem in earlier times, when the Ottoman Empire was still a dominant power able to propose solutions free of foreign interference and outside pressures. Based on official Ottoman records found in the registers of the kadi's court in Jerusalem as well as the Prime Ministry's Archives in Istanbul, this study offers a thorough treatment of Ottoman policy with respect to the Holy Sites during the first two centuries of Ottoman rule in Jerusalem. It focuses on three principal issues: (a) The legal status of the Holy Sites under Ottoman rule; (b) The Ottoman state and the inter-church struggle over the Holy Sites; (c) The Holy Sites as a source of income to the Ottoman state. The discussion of these issues sheds new light on one of the most obscure and controversial chapters in the history of Christianity under Islam in Jerusalem.
E-Book Content
CHRISTIANITY UNDER ISLAM IN JERUSALEM
THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE AND ITS HERITAGE Politics, Society and Economy EDITED BY
SURAIYA FAROQHI AND HALIL INALCIK Advisory Board
Fikret Adanir • Idris Bostan • Amnon Cohen • Cornell Fleischer Barbara Flemming • Alexander de Groot • Klaus Kreiser Hans Georg Majer • Irene Melikoff • Ahmet Ya§ar Ocak Abdeljelil Temirni • Gilles Veinstein • Elizabeth Zachariadou
VOLUME 23
CHRISTIANITY UNDER ISLAM IN JERUSALEM The Question of the Holy Sites in Early Ottoman Times
BY
ODED PERI
BRILL LEIDEN • BOSTON • KOLN 2001
This book is printed on acid-free paper.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Peri, Oded. Christianity under Islam in Jerusalem : the question of the holy sites in early Ottoman times / Oded Peri. p. cm. — (The Ottoman Empire and its heritage, ISSN 1380-6076 ; v. 23) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 9004120424 (alk. paper) 1. Christian shrines—Jerusalem—History. 2. Christian shrines—Bethlehem-History. 3. Turkey—History—Ottoman Empire, 1288-1918. 4. Christianity and other religions—Islam. 5. Islam—Relations—Christianity. 6. Jerusalem— —Church history. 7. Bethlehem—Church history. I. Title. II. Series. BV896.J47 P47 2001 322'. 1 '095694420902—dc21
00-066728 CIP
Die Deutsche Bibliothek - CIP-Einheitsaufhahme Peri, Oded : Christianity under Islam in Jerusalem : the question of the holy sites in early Ottoman times / by Oded Peri. — Leiden ; Boston ; Koln : Brill, 2001 (The Ottoman Empire and its heritage ; Vol. 23) ISBN 90-04-12042-4
ISSN 1380-6076 ISBN 9004120424 © Copyright 2001 by Koninklyke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, translated, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of the publisher. Authorization to photocopy itemsfor internal or personal use is granted by Brill provided that the appropriate fees are paid directly to The Copyright Clearance Center, Rosewood Drive 222, Suite 910 DanversMA01923, USA Fees are subject to change. PRINTED IN THE NETHERLANDS
CONTENTS
Foreword Note on Transliteration Chapter One: The Basic Constituents of the Holy Sites Question in Early Ottoman Times A. The Holy Sites 1. The Church of the Holy Sepulchreh in Jerusalem .... 2. The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem B. The Christian Communities Around the Holy Sites .... 1. General Demographic Data 2. Numeric Power Relations 3. Economic Power Relations 4. Conclusion C.