The Ottomans / Guardians of the Holy Sites

‘The sultans were obliged to ensure that the faithful could carry out their religious duties, of which the pilgrimage is one.’

The holiest place of Islam, the Ka’ba in Mecca, is dedicated to the direction of the canonical prayers by the Prophet Muhammad. As the centre of the faith, the Ka’ba is also the final destination of the pilgrimage which every Muslim tries to make at least once in a lifetime, and the Ottoman sultans were obliged to ensure that the faithful could carry out their religious duties, of which the pilgrimage is one. The prestige of the sultanate, therefore, very much depended on the safety of the pilgrimage routes, which they guaranteed mainly by payments to the Bedouins, whose territories the caravans crossed en-route to Mecca. They also took measures to protect the resting places of the pilgrims in the desert by building forts. At the beginning of the 20th century modern technical achievements improved transportation to the region with the construction of the Hijaz railway.

NameDynastyDetailsJustification
Seal of the Dome of the RockHegira 13th century / AD 19th centuryOttomanIslamic Museum, al-Aqsa Mosque / al-Haram al-Sharif
Jerusalem
Depictions of the holy sites, each identified with a caption, were produced for the pilgrims either as an entrance token, a blessing or as a souvenir of their visit.
Printing block (stamp) listing holy places in the region of PalestineHegira 13th century / AD 19th centuryOttomanIslamic Museum, al-Aqsa Mosque / al-Haram al-Sharif
Jerusalem
The block holds engraved Ottoman-Turkish inscriptions that name the principal holy sites in Palestine.
Tomb coverHegira 11th century / AD 17th centuryOttomanNational Museums of Scotland (NMS)
Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
Kiswa-like tomb covers recall the importance of the Ka'ba for the faithful.
Piece of the kiswa (cover) of the Ka'baHegira 13th century / AD 19th centuryOttomanIslamic Museum, al-Aqsa Mosque / al-Haram al-Sharif
Jerusalem
The kiswas (covers) that are removed from the Ka'ba are highly esteemed; believed to possess the beneficial power of the holy shrine.
Hasa FortressThe bridge dates to Hegira 1140 / AD 1730s; the fortress to the time of Sultan Mustafa II (AH 1170–87 / AD 1757–74)OttomanHasa, JordanThe sultans built forts along the pilgrimage routes, they were used to protect the wells and store provisions.
The Fortress at Ma'anHegira 937 / AD 1531OttomanMa'an, JordanMa'an was a station stop on the pilgrimage route; it later became the main stop on the Hijaz railway.
NameDynastyDetailsJustification
The Fortress at Ma'anHegira 937 / AD 1531OttomanMa'an, JordanDedicatory inscription of Ottoman Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent who was the patron of Fortress Ma'an.