CONTRIBUTION OF DAMASCUS CITY DEVELOPMENT OF THE TURKISH STATES

Year 2016, Volume: 12 Issue: 1, 115 - 142, 01.12.2016

İbrahim Yılmazçelik

Abstract

Because of its geographical location, Damascus has been the center of attraction for the large civilizations around it. As a result, various tribes turned towards Damascus during the historical process, and they have conquered and settled. Each tribe that dominated Damascus also left its works there. Damascus has an important position among the attraction centers of the oldworld. When economics and religious inclinations are combined, the region has always been of great significance. Since the oldest known ages, Damascus has been a battleground, with the Anatolian-based powers in the north Hittite, Roman, Seljuk, Ottoman , and Egypt-based powers in the south with the Pharaohs era of Egypt, Islam, Fatimid, Ayyubid and Mamluk and has been a bottleneck. During the historical process it is sometimes seen that Iran and Turkmenistan-centered powers from the east to reach all the way to Damascus. Since the first ages of history, large struggles have occurred between Ancient Egypt and the Hittites. Later on, the Roman Empire, establishing the world's largest political formation in the Mediterranean has been dominant in the region. The importance of the region resulted in the Persians in the region to come to Egypt, and has led to the occupation of Jerusalem, Damascus in the meanwhile. This rivalry between the east-west, northsouth forces has continued during the historical process. This process has also existed between the Turkish-Arab-Islamic states. For this reason, the Turks also arrived in Damascus, which could be called an early era, in the 8th-9th century AD. In this study where the Turkish presence in Damascus' historical background will be investigated, the first arrival of the Turks in Damascus, and their political and economic activities in the region are briefly discussed. If the Turkish conquest and settlement in the epic period is not taken into account, the Turks settled in the region during the 8th and 9th centuries, intensely and consciously for the purpose of settlement. They have established their most powerful political entity in the region after this period. First political Turkish formation established in the region is the Tolunoğulları state, which declared independence in Egypt mid 9th century. Later on, İhşidîs have continued their existence in central Syria. In later centuries, the Ayyubid, Seljuks, Mamluks and finally the Ottoman Empire dominated the region. During the domination of these states, the region witnessed a substantial development activity and many new structures have been built as well as the repaired previously built structures.

Keywords

Turks, Damascus, Ottoman, Seljuks, Syria.

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