Oman- Historical narratives and original documents, such as papyri, inscriptions, money and diwaniya orders, played an important role in protecting the diverse social, cultural and economic heritage of the city Jerusalem Occupied.
In this context, Al -Jazeera Net presented a specialized study in this field issued by the Royal Committee for Jerusalem Affairs in Amman, entitled “Historical Accounts and Documents and its role in preserving the Jerusalem heritage” by Dr. Ghaida Adel “Khaznah Katbi”, a professor of history, economic thought and civilizational studies at the University of Jordan, and is considered one of the most prominent and most accurate studies in this field.
In his presentation of the study issued in 2020, the Secretary -General of the Royal Committee, Abdullah Tawfiq Kanaan, stressed that “awareness of history and its accurate contents is not just a cultural well -being, but rather a civilized necessity to protect and defend identity, and ensure its continuation through generations.
Canaan believes that this cultural effort comes within the responsibility of supporting the Palestinians in JerusalemPalestineTo enhance legitimate historical rights, and prove the Palestinian and holy civilizational identity, whose roots belong to more than 5 thousand years. It also constitutes a knowledge response to the legendary Zionist novel promoted by Israel – as an occupying power – through fake historical and archaeological interpretations through which it seeks to persuade the world of the legitimacy of its existence.
Social heritage
In her studies, Dr. Ghaida Adel shows that social life in Jerusalem through the Islamic ages was rich and varied, and extended to include all aspects of Jerusalem activity, especially intellectual, religious and commercial. It explains that the city was a destination for scientists and merchants, which contributed to its cultural diversity, and sang it with the customs and knowledge that those coming to it carried.
The study also highlights the climate of tolerance prevailing in Jerusalem society, which has been rooted since The age of ageAnd he continued through the orders of the caliphs and the ceremonies of the sultans, which stressed the importance of social freedoms and facilitating the movement between Jerusalem and other regions, such as Egypt.
The study is based on papyrus documents that clarify this tolerance, including a document dating back to 1458, which includes a royal royal decree, which is to allow the Royal Christian Christians, Marcus bin Alam, to move freely between Egypt, Jerusalem and other Islamic countries, and to go on their old customs care in their travel from the gaps of Islam in the Levant andAleppo Jerusalem and the rest of the Islamic countries.
This reflects the extent of Islamic tolerance, which contributed to promoting stability and social activity in the city of Jerusalem.
In another papyrus, a text that shows the depth of Islamic tolerance towards the religious components in Jerusalem, in which it stated: “Do they not obligate Christian monks, Nassianiyas and the owners according to the payment and no sentiment, and do not oppress when they enter the Holy Jerusalem and every side to visit Jerusalem.”
This reflects the policy of the Islamic state, which was not satisfied with allowing religious freedoms, but rather has allocated permanent financial expenses to secure the needs of the city, which helped the prosperity of its economic and social conditions.
The study shows that some historical accounts were linking the performance of the Hajj pilgrimage with the visit of Jerusalem.
Among the important documents that highlight the depth of the civilizational structure in the city is a document dated 1346, the endowment definitions are detailed, and its goals and the prohibition of disposal are clarified. The document shows the prominent role that Moroccans played in supporting social institutions in Jerusalem, by stopping them on multiple facilities, which contributed to the city’s development.
The document also emphasized the preservation of the Islamic civilization on its previous civilizational heritage, and among the most prominent examples of this is the protection of the “Roman Copy”, which indicates that the Islamic presence did not seek to obliterate the effects of previous civilizations, but rather preserved and interacted with it, contrary to the policies of distortion and blurring that the occupation authorities follow today.
According to the study, the Jerusalemites played a prominent role in spreading science and culture, and examples of this is the establishment of the “age school” in the Salihiya neighborhood of Damascus, after many of Jerusalem’s residents left due to the wars and crises that stormed it in 1156.
The school was named after Sheikh Abi Omar Muhammad bin Ahmed bin Muhammad Al -Maqdisi, and it is considered a witness to the scientific and cultural status of the Jerusalemites, and an affirmation of the status of the Jerusalem intellectual and the ancient heritage that contributed to supporting culture in all parts of the Islamic world.
The Jerusalemites played a prominent role in spreading science and culture, and example is the establishment of the “age school” in the Salihiya neighborhood of Damascus, after many of them left in 1156 due to wars and crises.
Cultural heritage
The city of Jerusalem is a prominent civilized center in Islamic history, as it embraced various scientific and cultural institutions, received a group of scholars and thinkers, and graduated flags of their reputation in the capitals of the Islamic caliphate. A number of these were known as “Jerusalem origins”, as many Jerusalem sons held high positions such as the judiciary and teaching in major cities such as Damascus.
The archaeological inscriptions spread in the city indicate the pioneering role of teachers, and their keenness to teach various groups of society, especially orphans and the needy. Among the most prominent of these inscriptions is a text dating back to the year 1198 AD, in which he said: “And his wages will be paid to the teacher, and the house is in his hand to the wages of teaching orphans and the needy”, which indicates the allocation of direct financial resources to support community education.
This interest has contributed to the prosperity of building schools, and the Guessyan – which is the role of worship for Sufis – in addition to establishing public libraries, which constituted an integrated cognitive structure within the city.
A number of Jerusalem documents also document accurate royal decisions to regulate religious and educational life in the Al -Aqsa Mosque, especially in the Dome of the Rock. Among those documents, a decree issued in 1386 AD, stipulating the following: “The Sheikh, the honorable scholar, continues to read on the honorable rock on Friday, from the time of remembrance to the call to prayer, as well as Sunday after the Maghrib prayer, and he may read in the interpretations, hadiths and the words of the sheikhs with tales and sermons.”
Old geographical literature shows that Jerusalem was one of the most fertile areas of Palestine, and its people have developed multiple methods of storing crops, in an indication of the progress of storage techniques and keenness on food security.
Economic prosperity and production diversity
Old geographical literature shows that Jerusalem was one of the most fertile areas of Palestine, as the abundance of its agricultural products such as vineyards, olive trees, figs, and wheat were known. Its people have developed multiple methods of storing crops, so the oil was stored in customized wells, while castles were used to keep wheat for long periods, indicating the progress of storage techniques and keenness on food security.
Some papyrus documents reveal the features of economic life in the city, especially those related to the industry and construction sectors. Specifically with regard to architecture inside the Al -Aqsa Mosque, including the vicinity of the fence, the dome of the rock, and the tribal mosque, which indicates permanent care of religious sites, and the provision of jobs and income for many workers.
As for the commercial activity, it was known as an early recovery, according to historical accounts, the most prominent of which was what was reported by the bishop “Arkov” during his visit to Jerusalem during the era of the Umayyad caliph Muawiyah bin Abi Sufyan, where he indicated that there is an active annual market that traders from various regions come to.
The city was also famous for making textiles, especially those made of cotton and linen, known as “Al -Maqdisi”, along with prayer carpets, pillow blankets, and other handicrafts.
Civil heritage
The Jerusalem scholars were keen to document their knowledge by copying books in their hands, and they were keen to inherit these copies of their children, who in turn were re -copying and scrutinizing them.
It is not surprising that a number of Jerusalemites were writing for himself and with the fare, “meaning he works with the function of copying books”, and this confirms the value of the compromise heritage of Jerusalem scholars and institutions in several fields, from the product of Arab -Islamic civilization, including those knowledge and accounts related to the city of Jerusalem.
Recommendations
The study concluded several recommendations, most notably the activation of recommendations and decisions to teach Jerusalem in Jordanian, Arab and Islamic universities and make it compulsory to enhance the concept of the Jerusalem civilized heritage.
In addition to ensuring that scientific events related to Jerusalem, along with scientific papers, contain activities that highlight the heritage and the Jerusalem culture, such as customs, traditions and folklore, in addition to the heritage related to the oral history of its value in educating future generations.
The writer also recommended the launch of the Jerusalem civilized initiatives and projects that seek its content to revive the Jerusalem and Jerusalem heritage as a global message that Jerusalem has an authentic identity and culture that extends for centuries.