Summary
The series of “The Detailed Defter of the Liwāʾ of Noble Jerusalem” , made up of six volumes, is the main and foremost cornerstone in documenting the most important period in the history of the city and its conditions during the Ottoman times. It does so by shedding light on the most important relics and dwellings. The collection methodically surveys the characteristics of the city of Jerusalem describing its streets, neighbourhoods, markets, shops, mosques, schools and walls. This encyclopaedic work also contains a comprehensive and analytical study and a census of the inhabitants, the names of villages and their locations, farm lands, the names of trusts and land owners. Also included are studies on the administrative organisation, and the agricultural and husbandry resources. There are studies on trade, currency, weights and measures among others. It also deals with the restriction of awqāf (trusts) for schools, mosques, narrow routes, Prophetic spots (maqāms), the conduits of water in Jerusalem and its emblem. The two authors (Dr. Muhammad Adnsn al-Bakhit and Dr. Naufan Raja al-Sawariyah) relied, in their thorough revision of the Jerusalem records, on the original Ottoman copy and its translation in Arabic on the opposite pages. They studied and analysed its contents in a methodical and holistic way. They also added a detailed study relying on both the manuscript and printed sources, including what was written on the topic of Jerusalem at the beginning of the Ottoman era. The study is appended with detailed listings of the names of notable, individuals, cities, locations and groups with maps of the emblem of Jerusalem and its villages.
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