The Ottoman Empire first reached Jerusalem around 1517. But rather than starting there, it might be a good idea to look at an earlier history. Jerusalem has been in existence since the Bible, but to start from a more realistic standpoint, I'll start a little later.

In around 1004 BCE, David conquered Jerusalem and made it the capital of his kingdom. It was the center of government and religion for the Jewish people. This only lasted for so long though, as it was recaptured by the Assyrians in 722 BCE. In 586 BCE, the Babylonians torched Jerusalem, but it survived.

So now Babylon was in control. From this, after Alexander the Great died, Jerusalem went to Egypt, and then to Syria. Jerusalem continued to be passed around from people such as the Muslims and the Christian crusaders. In 1219 Jerusalem became an unprotected, unwalled city until Suleiman the Magnificent rebuilt its defenses.

And that brings us back to now. As I said, the Ottoman Empire first conquered our land in 1517. They have controlled us under their rule since that time. Under this rule we have flourished for quite some time. Our previous sultan, Sultan Suleiman, we call him the magnificent because he had been so good to us, helped our city prosper for most of his ruling. Now we look to the future. We the people in Jerusalem, hope you are encouraged to actually visit our beautiful city. We hope this information can help you learn and intrigue further interest in our wonderful hometown. Enjoy!