Mamluke Era of Safed 1266 to 1517
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− | + | ('''Hebrew''': צפת בתקופה ממלוקי / '''Pronunciation''': Mam-luki / Spelling: Mamluke / '''Other Names''': Post-Crusader Safed History / '''Definition''': Safed history 1266 - 1517 / '''Description''': Development and history of Safed during the Mamluke period) | |
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− | The | + | The Mamluke Sultan al-Zahir Baybars allowed Jews to return to [[Safed|Tzfat]] and develop the Jewish community in the town following the Mamluke defeat of the [[Crusaders in Safed|Crusaders in 1266]]. The Sultan Baybars, who came from Egypt, expanded a great deal of energy to reinforce the city and its population due to its strategic position. |
== Sultan al-Zahir Baybars == | == Sultan al-Zahir Baybars == | ||
− | + | The Sultan al-Zahir Baybars called Safed the “Tzephed Empire,” and considered it to be the capitol of the Mamluke Empire. This “kingdom” included the Carmel mountain range, the Upper, Western, and Lower Galilee, the Jordan Valley, northern Samaria, and Southern Lebanon. Beybars rebuilt the Crusader fortress on [[Metzuda of Safed|Tzfat’s Citadel]] and added a 60-meter tower which could be seen in Acre. The Crusaders still held Acre at this point so this tower served two purposes -- as a defensive structure as well as a message to the Crusaders that their time in the land was coming to an end. In an exciting archaeological find, recent excavations of the Citadel uncovered the personal insignia of Sultan Beybars, a lion sculpture within a rock. . | |
== Institutions and Scholarship == | == Institutions and Scholarship == | ||
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=== Economy === | === Economy === | ||
− | Spanish Jews brought fulling mills with them to Safed. | + | Spanish Jews brought fulling mills with them to Safed. The technology, called “batan” allowed the residents to use the streams of the nearby [[Wadi Amud Safed|Wadi Amud valley]] to create a wool textile industry. The technology involved beating the cloth while it was stretched over running water to tighten the threads of the fabric and create a smooth cloth. Safed became known for producing this material which provided employment for many residents. |
== Community Life == | == Community Life == | ||
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== New Immigrants == | == New Immigrants == | ||
− | The worsening situation for Jews in Spain in the late 15th century brought increasing numbers of new Jewish immigrants to | + | The worsening situation for Jews in Spain in the late 15th century brought increasing numbers of new Jewish immigrants to Palestine. When Spain expelled the Jews in 1492, Spain’s Jews fled the country and many made their way to Tzfat. In particular, kabbalists were drawn to Tzfat due to its proximity to the gravesite of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, author of the foundation of kabbalah, the Zohar. |
As the Mamluke period drew to a close, the Golden Age of Safed was just beginning. The Mamlukes were defeated by the Ottomans in 1517 and the [[Ottoman Rule of Safed 1517 to 1759|Ottoman rule of Safed]] began. | As the Mamluke period drew to a close, the Golden Age of Safed was just beginning. The Mamlukes were defeated by the Ottomans in 1517 and the [[Ottoman Rule of Safed 1517 to 1759|Ottoman rule of Safed]] began. |