Mamluk Jerusalem was essentially a grassroots movement of people who were not usually in control. During this period between 1250-1516, Jerusalem became a religious center, was used as a place of political exile, and was a time of intensive building of schools, hospices, and hostels. Crusader structures were used as quarries for stone, Crusader markets were enlarged, two new Mosques were built, and colonnaded madrasas (schools) were built around the Haram. Al-Madrasa al-Ashrafiyya was built in 1482 by Sultan al-Ashraf Qaitbey who reigned from 1468-1496. His reign was remarkable for the number of find buildings he erected – the madrasa specifically was refered to as the “third jewel of Jerusalem” after the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque. During this period, there was very unique architecture consisting of patterns of alternating red/white and black/white stone, as well as dome shapes, monumental entrances and muqarnas (a decorative technique inside domes and above entrances). Also, in 1267 during the growth of the Jewish quarter, Nachmanides makes an aliyah and develops Kabbalah (Jewish Mysticism).
Lecture continued on to cover Ottoman Jerusalem as well. This period spanned from 1516-1918 and began as a result of Selim I defeat of the Malmuks in 1517 at Maj-Dablik (Northern Syria). During the 16th century the Ottoman kingdom flourished and established a strong centralized government in Jerusalem. Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent reigned from 1520-1566, a time during which he repaired and enlarged aqueducts, rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem, carried out an extensive campaign to refurbish the Haram and its monuments, rebuilt and renovated the markets, and built the Khassaki Sultan complex which was a huge public charity for the people living in Jerusalem. His work in Jerusalem was equivalent to that of Mecca and Medina, making Jerusalem the third most important city to the faith of Islam.
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