The Waqf: Jerusalem's Invisible Power

Jerusalem’s history is often told through treaties and battles, but its physical landscape is shaped by something quieter and older: the waqf. In this episode, we explore how Islamic charitable endowments have managed holy sites for centuries, creating a complex web of ownership that survives empires and wars. We meet key figures like Khaled al-Husayni and trace the legal lineage from Ottoman sultans to the modern Israeli state. The conversation examines how these religious trusts controlled water rights, housing, and access to the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif long before modern nationalism took hold. By looking at the administrative records and the daily lives of those who maintained these sites, we see how land became identity. This isn't just about religion; it's about property law, community survival, and the invisible architecture of power in one of the world's most contested cities.

#Waqf #Jerusalem #OttomanEmpire #TempleMount #HaramAlSharif #PalestineHistory #IslamicLaw #KhaledAlHusayni #LandOwnership #MiddleEastConflict #ReligiousTrusts #AlAqsa #DomeOfTheRock #Endowment #HistoricalMaps #FexingoHistory #History #Documentary

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