Ottoman Syria

Ottoman Syria سورية في العصر العثماني
1516–1918
Flag
Territories included in Syrian provinces throughout the Ottoman era
Status	Territory of the Ottoman Empire
Capital	Damascus
Common languages	Arabic, Ottoman Turkish
History
• Battle of Marj Dabiq	August 24, 1516 1516
• al-Ma'ni insurrection in the Eyalet of Damascus	1633
• Invasion by Muhammad Ali of Egypt	1831
• Mount Lebanon gains a special status	1861
• British occupation, French occupation	1918 1918
Preceded by Succeeded by Mamluk Sultanate (Cairo) Turkey French Mandate of Syria British Mandate of Palestine British Mandate of Mesopotamia

Ottoman Syria refers to the Levant within the Ottoman Empire from 1516 to 1918. Syria in the Ottoman era included modern Syria, Lebanon, Israel, the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Jordan, and parts of Turkey and Iraq.

History

See also: Timeline of Ottoman Syria

Syrian dress from the late 19th century.

Before 1516, historical or Greater Syria was part of the Mamluk Empire centered in Egypt. The Ottoman Sultan Selim I conquered Syria in 1516 after defeating the Mamlukes at the Battle of Marj Dabiq near Aleppo in northern Syria. Selim carried on his victorious campaign against the Mamlukes and conquered Egypt in 1517 following the Battle of Ridanieh, bringing an end to the Mamluk Sultanate.

Administrative Divisions

Ottoman Syria in 1918

See also: Subdivisions of the Ottoman Empire

When he first seized Syria in 1516, Selim I kept the administrative subdivisions of the Mamluk period unchanged. After he came back from Egypt in July 1517, he reorganized Syria into one large province or eyalet named Şam (Arabic/Turkish for "Syria"). The eyalet was subdivided into several districts or sanjaks.

1549

In 1549, Syria was reorganized into two eyalets. The northern Sanjak of Aleppo became the center of the new Eyalet of Aleppo. At this time, the two Syrian Eyalets were subdivided as follows:

• The Eyalet of Aleppo (Arabic: إيالة حلب)
  • The Sanjak of Aleppo
  • The Sanjak of Adana
  • The Sanjak of Ablistan (Marash)
  • The Sanjak of Aintab
  • The Sanjak of Birejik (Urfa)
  • The Sanjak of Kilis
  • The Sanjak of Ma'arra
  • The Sanjak of Hama
  • The Sanjak of Salamiya
  • The Sanjak of Homs

• The Eyalet of Arabs (Damascus) ([] Error: {{Lang-xx}}: no text (help)إيالة العرب)
  • The Sanjak of Damascus
  • The Sanjak of Tripoli
  • The Sanjak of Safad
  • The Sanjak of Nablus
  • The Sanjak of Jerusalem
  • The Sanjak of Tara Bey Arabs (in Palestine)
  • The Sanjak of Salt
  • The Sanjak of Gaza

1579

In 1579, the Eyalet of Tripoli was established under the name of Tripoli of Syria (Turkish:Trablusşam) (Arabic: طرابلس الشام). At this time, the eyalets became as follows:

• The Eyalet of Aleppo included:
  • The Sanjak of Aleppo
  • The Sanjak of Adana
  • The Sanjak of Marash
  • The Sanjak of Aintab
  • The Sanjak of Urfa

• The Eyalet of Tripoli included:
  • The Sanjak of Tripoli
  • The Sanjak of Latakia
  • The Sanjak of Hama
  • The Sanjak of Homs

• The Eyalet of Damascus included:
  • The Sanjak of Damascus
  • The Sanjak of Beirut
  • The Sanjak of Sidon
  • The Sanjak of Acre
  • The Sanjak of Safad
  • The Sanjak of Nablus
  • The Sanjak of Jerusalem
  • The Sanjak of Gaza
  • The Sanjak of Hauran
  • The Sanjak of Ma'an

1586

In 1586, the Eyalet of Raqqa was established in eastern Syria. It lasted until the Egyptian invasion in 1831.

• The Eyalet of Raqqa ([] Error: {{Lang-xx}}: no text (help) إيالة الرقة)
  • The Sanjak of Urfa
  • The Sanjak of Marash
  • The Sanjak of Dayr Rahba
  • The Sanjak of Khabour
  • The Sanjak of Jamasa
  • The Sanjak of Bani Rabi'a

1660

The Eyalet of Safad was established in 1660. It was later renamed the Eyalet of Sidon, and later, the Eyalet of Beirut.

1861

Under European pressure, mainly from France, an Ottoman edict issued in 1861 (effective in 1864) made Mount Lebanon a Mutesarrifiyyet governed by a Mutasarrıf. This meant that the majorly Maronite mountain was no longer subordinate to any of the surrounding Eyalets. The edict also granted that the Mutasarrıf be Christian.

These reforms came after a sectarian war in the mountain between the Maronites and the Druze, the latters were supposidly backed by the Ottomans.

1864

As part of the Tanzimat reforms, an Ottoman law passed in 1864 provided for a standard provincial administration throughout the empire with the Eyalets becoming smaller Vilayets governed by a Wali or governor still appointed by the Porte but with new provincial assemblies participating in administration.

1874

In 1874, Jerusalem became a Mutesarrifiyyet gaining a special administrative status.

1877

In 1877, the subdivisions of Syria were as follows:

• The Vilayet of Aleppo (Arabic: ولاية حلب)
• The Vilayet of Deir ez-Zor (Arabic: ولاية دير الزور)
• The Vilayet of Beirut (Arabic: ولاية بيروت)
• The Vilayet of Syria (Damascus) (Arabic: ولاية الشام) (Damascus is called "Syria" (Sham) in Levantine Arabic)
• The Mutesarrifiyyet of Mount Lebanon (Arabic: متصرفية جبل لبنان)
• The Mutesarrifiyyet of Jerusalem (Arabic: متصرفية القدس الشريف)

References

• Bayyat, Fadil The Ottoman State in the Arab Scope (Arabic, 2007)

See also

• History of Syria
• Roman Syria
• Sykes-Picot Agreement
• French Mandate of Syria