• Jerusalem population in the Ottoman Period

The absolute majority of population in Jerusalem comprised the Arab Moslems of the city

and a small number of Moslems, who preferred to reside in Jerusalem, coming from various

Arab and Islamic countries like, Morocco, Egypt, Syria, Iraq and other Mid-Asia states.
Regarding Christians, the state did not consider them as one party because they were

divided into several parties and nations as: Latin, Romans, Orthodox, Armenian, Ahbash,

Serb, Syrian and Karj…etc. The majority of them were Arab Roman Orthodox. The relations

among the Christian parties were agitated with disputes and hostilities throughout the

Ottoman time particularly in the seventeenth and the ensuing centuries.
Regarding Jews, they enjoyed some religious freedom during the Ottoman period

unprecedented in any European country. No discrimination against them was reported

which led to establish strong relationships with the other Jewish colonies in the Ottoman

Empire. It had witnessed a remarkable increase in population resulting from the arrival of

many Jews who were dispersed and ousted from Spain and Portugal in (1492). Since the

Ottoman authorities permitted them to live in Palestine, A Jewish colony “Safaradieh” was

formed in 1522 and grew excessively in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries when few

hundreds of the ‘Al Hasidim” Jews arrived from Bologna in 1777. That had contributed in

founding the Ashkanaziya sect in the city with the “Safaradia” sect.
In 1806 the number of Jews in Jerusalem had become 2000 people then up to 3000 in

1819. This Jewish colony increased during the ensuing two decades due to the arrival of

tens of Jews from Safad who left their city because the country was exposed to earth

quakes in (1834-1837).
The following table illustrates the population of Jerusalem throughout the sixteenth-century

as documented in the Ottomans records: