Marjeh Square
Encyclopedia
Marjeh Square (Also known as Martyrs' Square) is a major square in downtown Damascus
, Syria
. The square was the central part of the city in the first half of the last century, before Damascus expanded further. Just outside of the old city, the square has came to play a vital integrative function as a geographic crossroads between the "old city," the colonial district, and the popular suburbs.
The Ottomans
first transformed the square into an administrative center in 1890. It later developed into a business and transport node and had by the beginning of the twentieth century become a cultural magnet. The square also has national significance as it is where the ottomans executed
the Syrian nationalists on May 6, 1916 sparking the Arab revolt
that ended the Ottoman rule over Syria
. The square takes its official name (Martyrs' Square) from the events.
In the center of the square stands a bronze colonnade erected by Sultan Abdul Hamid II
to commemorate the opening of the first telegraphic link in the Middle East
- the line between Damascus and Medina
, and the opening of the Damascus terminal on the Hejaz railway. The monument has a replica statue of the Yıldız Mosque
of Istanbul
on top. The plate on the base of the colonnade is in Turkish
, which used to be written in Arabic
script. The architect of the Colonnade was the chief ottoman architect Raimondo Tommaso D'Aronco
.
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...
, 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....
. The square was the central part of the city in the first half of the last century, before Damascus expanded further. Just outside of the old city, the square has came to play a vital integrative function as a geographic crossroads between the "old city," the colonial district, and the popular suburbs.
History
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...
first transformed the square into an administrative center in 1890. It later developed into a business and transport node and had by the beginning of the twentieth century become a cultural magnet. The square also has national significance as it is where the ottomans executed
Martyrs' Day (Syria)
Martyrs' Day is a Syrian and Lebanese national holiday commemorating the Syrian and Lebanese nationalists executed in Damascus and Beirut on May 6, 1916 by Jamal Pasha, the Ottoman wāli. They were executed in both the Marjeh Square in Damascus and Burj Square in Beirut...
the Syrian nationalists on May 6, 1916 sparking the Arab revolt
Arab Revolt
The Arab Revolt was initiated by the Sherif Hussein bin Ali with the aim of securing independence from the ruling Ottoman Turks and creating a single unified Arab state spanning from Aleppo in Syria to Aden in Yemen.- Background :...
that ended the Ottoman rule over Syria
Ottoman Syria
Ottoman Syria is a European reference to the area that during European Renaissance from the late 15th to early 18th century was called the Levant within the early period of the Ottoman Empire, the Orient until the early 19th century, and Greater Syria until 1918...
. The square takes its official name (Martyrs' Square) from the events.
In the center of the square stands a bronze colonnade erected by Sultan Abdul Hamid II
Abdul Hamid II
His Imperial Majesty, The Sultan Abdülhamid II, Emperor of the Ottomans, Caliph of the Faithful was the 34th sultan of the Ottoman Empire...
to commemorate the opening of the first telegraphic link in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
- the line between Damascus and Medina
Medina
Medina , or ; also transliterated as Madinah, or madinat al-nabi "the city of the prophet") is a city in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia, and serves as the capital of the Al Madinah Province. It is the second holiest city in Islam, and the burial place of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad, and...
, and the opening of the Damascus terminal on the Hejaz railway. The monument has a replica statue of the Yıldız Mosque
Yildiz Hamidiye Mosque
The Yıldız Hamidiye Mosque, also called the Yıldız Mosque , is an Ottoman imperial mosque located in Yıldız neighbourhood of Beşiktaş district in Istanbul, Turkey, on the way to Yıldız Palace. The mosque was commissioned by the Ottoman sultan Abdul Hamid II, and constructed between 1884 and 1886....
of Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
on top. The plate on the base of the colonnade is in Turkish
Ottoman Turkish language
The Ottoman Turkish language or Ottoman language is the variety of the Turkish language that was used for administrative and literary purposes in the Ottoman Empire. It borrows extensively from Arabic and Persian, and was written in a variant of the Perso-Arabic script...
, which used to be written in Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
script. The architect of the Colonnade was the chief ottoman architect Raimondo Tommaso D'Aronco
Raimondo Tommaso D'Aronco
Raimondo Tommaso D’Aronco was an Italian architect renowned for his building designs in the style of Art Nouveau. He was the chief palace architect to the Ottoman Sultan Abdülhamid II in Istanbul, Turkey for 16 years.- Early years :...
.