Saladin – rise of Sufism
The Golden Age of Sufism Saladin conquered Jerusalem in 1187, and the city was ruled by his descendants for a short period, until 1229. Following this, we have a short…
Mamluk and Sufi Traditions
The Mamluks and the Sufi Tradition The Mamluks were a military caste from Egypt that ruled Jerusalem following the time of Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn (Saladin) and the Ayyubids (late 12th century)…
Via Dolorosa and the Custodia
The Custodia de Terra Sancta The Franciscan Order was founded in 1219, twenty years after Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn (Saladin) conquered Jerusalem from the Crusaders. Already with the founding of the Order…
Christianity After the Crusades
Christianity After the Crusades The re-conquest of the Land of Israel by the Muslims was completed in 1291. From that time onward, Catholics were generally not permitted to gain a…
Ottomans and Bektashi Janissaries
Ottomans and the Bektashi Dervishes The Ottomans conquered Jerusalem in 1517 and ruled it for 400 years. Ostensibly, this was merely the replacement of one Muslim rule with another, but…
Whirling Dervishes in Jerusalem
Whirling Dervishes in Jerusalem It appears that the Bektashi Order established a center for its rituals in Jerusalem in the 16th century, but the more important order established in Jerusalem…
Spanish Spirituality in Jerusalem
Christianity in the Ottoman Period The conquest of Jerusalem by the Ottomans led to an increase in the flow of Christian pilgrims to the Holy City. It was important for…
Orthodox Spirituality in Ottoman times
The Brotherhood of the Holy Sepulchre During the Ottoman period in Jerusalem, the Greek Orthodox Church held a senior and dominant status—both because it was the largest Christian community and…
Great Magicians in Jerusalem
Christian Alchemy Alchemy reached the West before the Renaissance, and according to Eliade, the first Latin translations of alchemy, including the Emerald Tablet, were made in the 12th century [1].…