in the Nineteenth Century

and , Ahmad al- When the Ottomans began to Dajani died in 1561 and was buried establish municipal councils, they Bayt al-Dajani Daoudi at Cemetery in Jerusalem, instated the first municipality in where his shrine still can be found. Istanbul in 1858 and inaugurated their second municipal council in A Prominent Jerusalem Family Deeply Highly esteemed and pious, the family’s founding head became a Jerusalem in 1863, completing Rooted in Palestinian History role model for his community and actions the Egyptians had undertaken descendants. By the nineteenth while ruling Jerusalem during the century, many family members were era of Ibrahim Basha (1831–1840). serving as spiritual leaders in the As part of administrative reforms, Jerusalem community (some issued the newly appointed wali (governor) fatwas). Others became , formed an advisory board, a judges, lawyers, administrators, consultative council, to help and advise him in the management doctors, teachers, businesspeople, viii etc., holding important functional, of city affairs that included five

ayt al-Dajani (the House of Dajani) is a prominent Jerusalem family historically estimated to be the largest in Palestine. It has deep roots in the By Zeina M. Barakat country’s history, especially that of Jerusalem. In Sacred Law in the Holy City: The Khedival Challenge to the Ottomans as Seen from Jerusalem, 1829– 1841 (Ottoman Empire andB Its Heritage),i Judith Mendelsohn Rood describes .supervisor) class ,اشراف) the Dajani family as members of Jerusalem’s ashraf scholars) in Jerusalem and ,علماء) ’She explains that the ashraf and the ‘ulama an Ottoman term for ,(االفندية) the surrounding towns made up the afandiyyat the ,(العلمي) the ‘Alamis ,(الحسيني) the clerical class that “included the Husaynis الداودي) and the Daoudi-Dajanis ,(ابو السعود) the Abu Sa’uds ,(الخالدي) Khalidis In his book, The Notables of Palestine at the End of the Ottoman Period ”.(الدجاني (1800–1918), Adel Manna’ states: “The Dajani family in Jerusalem was one of the largest families in number and wealth.”ii The family carries the double name Dajani Daoudi, where Dajani refers to the extended family, whereas Daoudiiii alludes to the family’s role as custodians and caretakers of King David’s tomb on Mount Zion in Jerusalem.iv Aref Pasha al-Dajani (first row), sitting in front of Hasan Sidqi al-Dajani and Aref’s two sons Ra’fat and In the fifteenth century, the Dajani family – originally from Saudi Arabia – settled Safwat al-Dajani. in Morocco, where Sheikh Ahmad Shihab Din Dajani (1480–1562) established himself as a renowned Sufi leader. When in a waking vision, Al-Dajani saw the political, social, and educational roles appointed members: three Muslims, spirit of God’s messenger David who pleaded, “Save me, oh Ahmad, for my in their communities and serving, for one Jew, and one Christian, whereas rescue will be at your hands,” he understood that David’s tomb at Mount Zion example, in various administrative, Abdul Rahman Afandi Dajani was was not well taken care of by the Christian monks. The latter were denying judicial, and religious posts. They chosen to serve as the first mayor access to any other sect or faith. He led a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and worked steered away from day-to-day politics of Jerusalem, 1863–1867.ix Mustafa hard to control David’s tomb.v When bloody riots had repeatedly broken out even though the family exercised Murad al-Dabbagh in his book Our between Christians and Jews over control of this site, the Ottoman Sultan much power and influence within the Homeland Palestine, points out Suleiman (ruled 1521–1566) issued a decree that appointed Sheikh Ahmed Jerusalem community and Palestinian that Palestine “was a small entity Dajani and his family as the site’s hereditary guardians, custodians, and society. The following highlights with limited authorities, minimum caretakers,vi a position they held until the end of the British Mandate in May 1948 some of the family’s more prominent revenues that did not exceed 500 when seized the site.vii Having become the head of the Sufis in Palestine members. gold liras, and without a bylaw.”x The

46 THIS WEEK IN PALESTINE 47 Palestine in the Nineteenth Century

Abdul Rahman Dajani Street sign in Beit Hanina, Jerusalem. Courtesy of Mohammed S. Dajani. The exterior of the Sheikh Ahmed Dajani tomb The interior of the Sheikh Ahmed Dajani in Mamilla Cemetery in Jerusalem. Courtesy of tomb in Mamilla Cemetery in Jerusalem. Mohammed S. Dajani. Courtesy of Mohammed S. Dajani. municipality provided services for Palestinian Conference that convened governor of Jericho and transferred to after the First World War became residents, such as constructing and in Jerusalem in 1919. As dean of the Yemen before returning to Palestine one of Jerusalem’s most prominent maintaining public buildings, roads, Dajani family, he also held high status to be the Ottoman legion commander. merchants. He was known for his and markets, supplied residents with in the local community. He died in The German government granted him boldness, courage, and generosity water, registered births and deaths, 1930 in his home in the Nabi Daoud the Medal of Courage for his bravery. towards the poor and needy. and provided security. Returns of the neighborhood and was buried in the xi Judge Ra’fat Baker al-Dajani Hasan Sidqi al-Dajani (1890–1938) municipality came from municipal family cemetery. (1886–1959) was born in Jerusalem graduated from the University of taxes and funds provided by the Abdel Mutaleb Abdel Mu’ti al-Dajani and studied law in Istanbul. Upon Cambridge with a law degree and central government. (1877–1945) was born and lived in graduation, he worked as a lawyer became a leading lawyer, politician, Haj Yusuf Wafa al-Dajani (1840– the Nabi Daoud Dajani neighborhood. in Jerusalem, was appointed to journalist, and thinker. He established 1950) was one of the most prominent He worked as a money changer various administrative posts during Al-Muntada al-Adabi (The Cultural merchants in Jerusalem, known as and in the silver trade and promoted the Ottoman era, and later became a Forum) in 1919 and launched the head of cultural and artistic events in the Old judge. He published and translated newspaper Al-Quds al-Sherif (Holy ,بندر التجار) Bandar al-Tujar traders). He imported goods and City. several books. Jerusalem) in 1920. Having joined distributed them to other merchants in Major Khalil Zaki al-Dajani Jawdat Said Bakr al-Dajani the Hizb al-Difa’ al-Watani (National the city, helped merchants solve their (1878–1957) was born, raised, and (1888–1930) was born and raised Defense Party), he was also one problems, and was known for his educated in Jerusalem. He joined the in Jerusalem. Initially, he worked of the leading figures of the Dajani- honesty and piety. Ottoman army and was appointed in the Ottoman government, and Nashashibi faction that opposed the Politician (Mohammed Aref) Baker Pasha al-Dajani (1856–1930) was born in Jerusalem to a father who Early 1900s postcard showing the Nabi Daoud tomb with its was a well-known jurist in the city Interior of the Nabi Daoud site in Jerusalem. Courtesy of Mohammed S. Dajani. Islamic silk covering. Source: Wikipedia. and who taught him religion. Baker was fluent in , Turkish, and French, studied law in Istanbul, and after his graduation, was appointed to various official posts by the Ottomans, including as the governor of Yemen. He served as mayor of Jerusalem from 1917 to 1918, was active in the Arab nationalist movement in Palestine, presided over the Islamic-Christian Association in Jerusalem (1919–1920), and was elected president of the First 48 THIS WEEK IN PALESTINE 49 Palestine in the Nineteenth Century

Dr. Zeina M. Barakat is the academic coordinator of the European Wasatia Graduate School for Peace and Conflict Resolution at Europa University in Flensburg, Germany, and research associate at the University of Cambridge (UK). She is the author of Heart of Stone to Heart of Flesh: Evolutionary Journey from Extremism to Moderation, Munich: Herbert Utz Verlag GmbH, 2017.

Houses of the Dajani family in the Nabi Daoud neighborhood. Courtesy of Mohammed S. Dajani. The Dajani family at Maqam Nabi Daoud. Such photos were regularly taken on religious feast days. Courtesy Husseini clan in the struggle for tomb area are now under Israeli of Mohammed S. Palestinian politics. In 1930, he control.xiv The Dajani family sought a Dajani. helped found Hizb al-Ahrar (Liberal restoration of their rights but without Party). In 1936, he published the any success.xv newspaper Al-Liwa’ (The Standard). King David’s tomb and the walls He is the author of two books in of the Last Supper room were i Judith Mendelsohn Rood, Sacred Law in the Holy City: The Khedival Challenge to the Ottomans Arabic, Fi Sabil al- wa al-Arab decorated with exquisite ceramic tiles as Seen from Jerusalem, 1829–1841, Volume 32 in the series Ottoman Empire and Its Heritage, (For the Sake of Islam and the ) Boston: Brill Leiden, 2004, p. 172, p. 58. Quoted from Linda Schilcher, Families in Politics, 1985, p. before Jewish extremists vandalized 379. and Tafsil Zalamat Filastin (Explaining them. A few years ago, the Israel ii Adel Manna’, The Notables of Palestine at the End of the Ottoman Period (1800–1918), Beirut: the Case of Palestine), and translated Antiquities Authority carried out Institute for Palestine Studies, 1986, 1995, p. 174. into Arabic Hizar (Beware), a novel iii Daoud is the Arabic name for David, sometimes spelled Dawud or Dahud. xii restoration and preservation work by Turkish novelist Nameq Kamal. at the site. Layers of paint were iv Arnold H. Green, “Family Trees and Archival Documents: A Case Study of Jerusalem’s Bayt al- His assassination in mid-October removed in the original building Dajani,” Arab and Islamic Studies, Cairo: The American University in Cairo Press, 1997, p. 97. of 1938 left a considerable impact v Al-Nabahani, Jaami’ Karaamaat al-Awliyaa’, on Ahmad al-Dajani. and original ceramic tiles were vi on the family and the community. uncovered. The original ablaq Aharon Layish. “Waqfs’ and Sufi Monasteries in the Ottoman Policy of Colonization,” Bulletin of the It signified the escalating terror School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, Vol. 50, No. 1. (1987), p. 69; and U. (red or black-and-white Mamluk Heid, Ottoman Documents on Palestine, 1552–1615, Oxford, 1960, 149, no. 97. employed by extremists to architectural ornamentation) was vii Ibid; see also: Amnon Cohen, “The Expulsion of the Franciscans from Mt. Zion,” Turcica 18 (1986): silence the moderates. His funeral revealed. When vandals destroyed 147–57. viii demonstrated his popularity; these restorations, the Dajani Mu’tasem Hasan Ahmed Naser, “Jerusalem Municipality and Political Conflict: 1918-1942,” among the many attendees were International Journal of History and Philosophical Research, Vol. 4, No. 1 (March 2016), p. 1; family unsuccessfully called upon see also: Ablah El-Muhtadi, “Jerusalem and the British Military Ruling (1917–1920),” (in Arabic) representatives of all Jerusalem’s those in charge to renovate and Ramallah: Dar as-Shorouq, 2003, p. 91; Osama Halabi, Arab Jerusalem Municipality, Jerusalem: The leading families. redecorate the walls with its original Palestinian Academic Association for International Affairs, 1993, p. 7. ix The Israeli Municipality of Jerusalem named a side street in Beit Hanina after him, which is not As is the case for all Palestinians, ceramic tiles. The two Dajani entirely appropriate for his status. the 1948 Nakba was a significant cemeteries located in the Nabi Daoud x Mustafa Murad al-Dabbagh, Palestine, Our Homeland, Beirut: Institute for Palestine Studies, Volume setback for the Dajani family, neighborhood were also vandalized 15, Section II, Edition I, 1976, p. 201. dispersing many family members and the grave markers were broken xi Translated from the book Beit Al-Dajani, compiled and edited by Samer W. Dajani and others, in Arab countries and elsewhere and destroyed to wipe out the Dajani Dubai, UAE, 2018. throughout the world. Moreover, family’s cultural heritage. Though the xii B. Barakat, Shakhsiat al-Quds fi al-Qrn al-Ishrin (The Twentieth-Century Celebrities of Jerusalem), when the Arab-Israeli war broke out physical property has been damaged Jerusalem: Dar el-Tifl el-Arabi, 2010, p. 99. xiii Amos Elon, Jerusalem: Battlegrounds of Memory, New York: Kodansha International, 1989, p. in 1948, Israel took control of the and the rightful residents are evicted 208. Nabi Daoud neighborhood’s Dajani and gone, the intangible heritage xiv John N. Tleel, I Am Jerusalem, 2nd ed., Jerusalem: Author, 2007, p. 228. xiii homes. The mosque where the Last remains. The memory lives on; a day xv Michael Dumper, The Politics of Jerusalem since 1967, New York: Columbia University Press, Supper was held, and King David’s will come when justice prevails. 1997, p. 303.

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