Jerusalem in the Final Days of Ottoman Rule (21 Photos)

Steeped in history and rich in spiritual heritage, the ancient city of Jerusalem has long been shrouded in mystery and legend. It is also one of the world's most sacred sites—and one whose land remains bitterly contested to this day. Here is a look at rare photographs capturing Jerusalem during the twilight years of Ottoman rule.





Over its millennia-long history, Jerusalem has seen a countless succession of rulers and empires—from ancient pagans and biblical Israelites to Byzantine Christians and Ottoman Muslims.



1900.

The Ottoman Turks conquered the city in 1517, absorbing Jerusalem into an empire that stretched from North Africa to Eastern Europe and the Middle East. In 1538, Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent ordered defensive walls built around the city. Today, the area within these ramparts is known as the Old City, divided into Muslim, Christian, Jewish, and Armenian quarters.





The historic city of Jerusalem, 1900.

These photographs offer a glimpse of Jerusalem during the final years of Ottoman rule. At the time, the city was part of the Mutasarrifate of Jerusalem, an administrative district within the broader region of Palestine. Driven by successive waves of immigration, the city's population during this period was predominantly Jewish.



1915. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

In 1917, four centuries after the start of Ottoman rule, British forces seized the city and surrounding territory, leading to the establishment of the British Mandate for Palestine.



The sacred ancient city of Jerusalem, 1900.

The British Mandate lasted until 1948, when rising Arab-Jewish nationalist tensions erupted into civil conflict, the 1947–1949 Arab–Israeli War, and the creation of the Jewish state of Israel.



1915. A Catholic bishop arrives for Christmas Mass.



1915. A Greek Orthodox priest.



1915. A Greek Orthodox procession.









1918. A woman looks out over Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives.



1915. An Orthodox ceremony of the Washing of Feet.



1915. Greek Orthodox Christians gathered at the Tomb of the Virgin Mary.



1915. Pilgrims in the Kidron Valley.











1900.