الحياة الفكريّة في القدس في العهد السَّجلوقيّ

Abstract

In 463 AH, the Seljuks restored large parts of the Levant from the Fatimids. By 465 AH, Atz ibn Awq al-Khawarizmi controlled Jerusalem, implementing political, civil, and religious changes. This era saw the rise of the Abbasid caliphate, Sunni doctrine, the opening of schools, and efforts to spread Islam. The Fatimids enforced Ismaili Shiism on Sham, and in 469 AH, a military campaign by Arabs, Turkmens, and Seljuks failed to restore Egypt under the Abbasids. The Seljuks held Jerusalem until 489 AH, when the Fatimids reclaimed it until it fell under the control of the Crusaders in 492 AH. This paper discusses Seljuk-Fatimid relations, Crusader interactions, and alliances to control Sham and suppress the Seljuks, with Crusaders seeking the north and Fatimids the south. It highlights the role of the Aqsa Mosque in fostering religious and cultural activity and the influence of Imam Abu Hamid al-Ghazali and Sheikh Maqdisi Nabulsi in spreading knowledge and combating negative beliefs. The study shows how Ghazali’s writings and the efforts of Seljuk rulers—Artek bin Aksk, Elghazi, and Suqman—were vital in reforming and stabilizing Jerusalem’s Muslim community and intellectual life.