Ottoman period Tiberias

tiberias harbour



inquisition , jews: doña gracia museum.

as ottoman empire expanded along southern mediterranean coast under great sultan selim i, reyes católicos (catholic monarchs) began establishing inquisition commissions. many conversos, (marranos , moriscos) , sephardi jews fled in fear ottoman provinces, settling @ first in constantinople, salonika, sarajevo, sofia , anatolia. sultan encouraged them settle in palestine. in 1558, portuguese-born marrano, doña gracia, granted tax collecting rights in tiberias , surrounding villages suleiman magnificent. envisaged town becoming refuge jews , obtained permit establish jewish autonomy there. in 1561 nephew joseph nasi, lord of tiberias, encouraged jews settle in tiberias. securing firman sultan, , joseph ben adruth rebuilt city walls , lay groundwork textile (silk) industry, planting mulberry trees , urging craftsmen move there. plans made jews move papal states, when ottomans , republic of venice went war, plan abandoned.

in 1624, when sultan recognized fakhr-al-din ii lord of arabistan (from aleppo borders of egypt), druze leader made tiberias capital. 1660 destruction of tiberias druze resulted in abandonment of city jewish community, unlike tiberias, nearby city of safed recovered destruction, , wasn t entirely abandoned, remaining important jewish center in galilee.

in 1720s, arab ruler zahir al-umar, of zaydani clan, fortified town , signed agreement neighboring bedouin tribes prevent looting. accounts time tell of great admiration people had zahir, war against bandits on roads. richard pococke, visited tiberias in 1727, witnessed building of fort north of city, , strengthening of old walls, attributing dispute pasha of damascus. under instructions ottoman porte, sulayman pasha al-azm of damascus laid siege tiberias in 1742, intention of eliminating zahir, siege unsuccessful. in following year, sulayman set out repeat attempt greater reinforcements, died en route.

tiberas, 1862

under zahir s patronage, jewish families encouraged settle in tiberias. invited rabbi chaim abulafia of smyrna rebuild jewish community. synagogue built still stands today, located in court of jews.

in 1775, ahmed el-jazzar butcher brought peace region iron fist. in 1780, many polish jews settled in town. during 18th , 19th centuries received influx of rabbis re-established center jewish learning. around 600 people, including 500 jews, died when town devastated 1837 galilee earthquake. rabbi haim shmuel hacohen konorti, born in spain in 1792, settled in tiberias @ age of 45 , driving force in restoration of city.

however, american expedition reported tiberias still in state of disrepair in 1847/1848.

dr. torrance s hospital

in 1885, scottish doctor , minister, david watt torrance, opened mission hospital in tiberias accepted patients of races , religions. in 1894, moved larger premises @ beit abu shamnel abu hannah. in 1923 son, dr. herbert watt torrance, appointed head of hospital. after establishment of state of israel, became maternity hospital supervised israeli department of health. after closure in 1959, building became guesthouse until 1999, when renovated , reopened scots hotel.

tiberias, 1920s