Syrian Turks
Encyclopedia
Syrian Turks are Syria
n citizens of Turkish
descent, who have been living in the Syrian provinces of the Ottoman Empire
before its dissolution and continue to live in the modern country of Syria
. Turks are the third largest ethnic group in Syria after the Arabs and Kurds.
in 1516 after defeating the Mamlukes at the Battle of Marj Dabiq
near Aleppo
in northern Syria.
waves. Sometimes, the Seljuk
s and the Mamelukes
living in the area adopted the Turkmen in their armies, and some Turkmen became aristocrats. Linda Cichlr wrote about these Turkmen aristocratic families in her book about the city of Damascus
.
because of fear of unrest and riots that were caused by the Bedouin
tribes during droughts. The instability of the Ottoman Empire made it difficult to control the tribes. Aelkezl Bash was a prominent anti-Ottoman leader. After the Ottomans returned from conquests in Europe however, they were able to put down revolutionary activities in the area and resettled the Turkmen to the villages of Latakia
, Aleppo
, Homs
, and Hama
in the Golan.
after the First World War. Today the community is estimated to be between 750,000 and 1,500,0000.
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
n citizens of Turkish
Turkish people
Turkish people, also known as the "Turks" , are an ethnic group primarily living in Turkey and in the former lands of the Ottoman Empire where Turkish minorities had been established in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Romania...
descent, who have been living in the Syrian provinces of the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
before its dissolution and continue to live in the modern country of Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
. Turks are the third largest ethnic group in Syria after the Arabs and Kurds.
History
In the late 11th century, Syria was conquered first by the Seljuk Turks and then by the Ottoman Sultan Selim ISelim I
Selim I, Yavuz Sultân Selim Khan, Hâdim-ül Haramain-ish Sharifain , nicknamed Yavuz "the Stern" or "the Steadfast", but often rendered in English as "the Grim" , was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1512 to...
in 1516 after defeating the Mamlukes at the Battle of Marj Dabiq
Battle of Marj Dabiq
The battle of Marj Dābiq was a decisive military clash in Middle Eastern history, fought on 24 August 1516, 44 km north of Halab , Syria.- Battle preparations :...
near Aleppo
Aleppo
Aleppo is the largest city in Syria and the capital of Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Syrian governorate. With an official population of 2,301,570 , expanding to over 2.5 million in the metropolitan area, it is also one of the largest cities in the Levant...
in northern Syria.
Turkmen cities
Turkmen came to Syria in several migrationHuman migration
Human migration is physical movement by humans from one area to another, sometimes over long distances or in large groups. Historically this movement was nomadic, often causing significant conflict with the indigenous population and their displacement or cultural assimilation. Only a few nomadic...
waves. Sometimes, the Seljuk
Seljuq dynasty
The Seljuq ; were a Turco-Persian Sunni Muslim dynasty that ruled parts of Central Asia and the Middle East from the 11th to 14th centuries...
s and the Mamelukes
Mamluk
A Mamluk was a soldier of slave origin, who were predominantly Cumans/Kipchaks The "mamluk phenomenon", as David Ayalon dubbed the creation of the specific warrior...
living in the area adopted the Turkmen in their armies, and some Turkmen became aristocrats. Linda Cichlr wrote about these Turkmen aristocratic families in her book about the city of Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
.
Turkmen villages
Turkmen villages were resettled by the Ottoman EmpireOttoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
because of fear of unrest and riots that were caused by the Bedouin
Bedouin
The Bedouin are a part of a predominantly desert-dwelling Arab ethnic group traditionally divided into tribes or clans, known in Arabic as ..-Etymology:...
tribes during droughts. The instability of the Ottoman Empire made it difficult to control the tribes. Aelkezl Bash was a prominent anti-Ottoman leader. After the Ottomans returned from conquests in Europe however, they were able to put down revolutionary activities in the area and resettled the Turkmen to the villages of Latakia
Latakia
Latakia, or Latakiyah , is the principal port city of Syria, as well as the capital of the Latakia Governorate. In addition to serving as a port, the city is a manufacturing center for surrounding agricultural towns and villages...
, Aleppo
Aleppo
Aleppo is the largest city in Syria and the capital of Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Syrian governorate. With an official population of 2,301,570 , expanding to over 2.5 million in the metropolitan area, it is also one of the largest cities in the Levant...
, Homs
Homs
Homs , previously known as Emesa , is a city in western Syria and the capital of the Homs Governorate. It is above sea level and is located north of Damascus...
, and Hama
Hama
Hama is a city on the banks of the Orontes River in west-central Syria north of Damascus. It is the provincial capital of the Hama Governorate. Hama is the fourth-largest city in Syria—behind Aleppo, Damascus, and Homs—with a population of 696,863...
in the Golan.
Population
According to Scott and Taylor (1828), during the Ottoman rule of Syria there were about 3 million Turks living in Syria. However, the population had decreased when Turks began to immigrate to TurkeyTurkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
after the First World War. Today the community is estimated to be between 750,000 and 1,500,0000.
Notable people
- Yusuf al-Azma
- Taqi al-Din Muhammad ibn Ma'ruf
- Aliye RonaAliye RonaAliye Rona, née Dilligil, was a Turkish film actress starring in more than 130 movies, mostly of drama and romance genre, from 1947 until her death.She was born in Daraa, Ottoman Empire...
- Suleyman ShahSuleyman ShahSuleyman Shah Suleyman Shah Suleyman Shah (Ottoman Turkish: سليمان شاه, Süleyman Şah - Süleyman bin Kaya Alp; (b. ca. 1178 – d. 1236). The son of Kutalmish was father of Ertuğrul, who was, in turn, the father of Osman I, the founder of the Ottoman Empire. His other son was Saru Yatı, the father of...
- Yasser al-AzmaYasser al-AzmaYasser al-Azma is a prominent Syrian writer and actor of television, film, and stage. Azmeh was born in the Syrian capital of Damascus. The Syrian actor started his career acting on stage. Azmeh later acted in his first films...
See also
- Iraqi Turkmens
- Oghuz TurksOghuz TurksThe Turkomen also known as Oghuz Turks were a historical Turkic tribal confederation in Central Asia during the early medieval Turkic expansion....
- Hatay ProvinceHatay ProvinceHatay Province is a province in southern Turkey, on the Mediterranean coast. It is bordered by Syria to the south and east and the Turkish provinces of Adana and Osmaniye to the north. The province is part of Çukurova, a geographical, economical and cultural region that covers the provinces of...
- Sinan Pasha MosqueSinan Pasha MosqueThe Sinan Pasha Mosque is an early Ottoman-era mosque in Damascus, Syria, located along Suq Sinaniyya Street.-History:The mosque was built in 1590 by Sinan Pasha, the Ottoman-appointed governor of Damascus from 1589 to 1593. It stands on the site of an older mosque called the Mosque of Basal to...
- Darwish Pasha MosqueDarwish Pasha MosqueThe Darwish Pasha Mosque is an early Ottoman-era mosque in Damascus, Syria, located along the Street Called Straight. The mosque was erected in 1574 by the Ottoman governor of Damascus Darwish Pasha.-Architecture:...
- MosulMosulMosul , is a city in northern Iraq and the capital of the Ninawa Governorate, some northwest of Baghdad. The original city stands on the west bank of the Tigris River, opposite the ancient Assyrian city of Nineveh on the east bank, but the metropolitan area has now grown to encompass substantial...
- Arabs in TurkeyArabs in TurkeyThe Arabs in Turkey are a Semitic people.Arabs in Turkey are mostly Muslims living along the southeastern border with Syria in the provinces such as Batman, Bitlis, Gaziantep, Hatay, Mardin, Muş, Siirt, Şırnak and Şanlıurfa. The Arabs in this part of the border consist of many Bedouin tribes...
- Syria–Turkey relationsSyria–Turkey relationsSyrian–Turkish relations have long been strained, even though Turkey shares its longest common border with Syria; various geographic and historical links also tie the two neighboring states together....