Ottoman Rule in Beirut
Apart from Roman influence, the city of Beirut also has its share of Ottoman influence. Beirut was ruled by the Druze emirs in the Ottoman period. One popular emir was Fakr Din Maan who fortified the city in order to protect it from enemies in the 17th century. The Ottomans however ruled over the city in 1763 by retaking it in their rule.
With Damascus’s help, the city broke Akka’s monopoly on the trade involving Syria and for a few years it became the main center for martime trade. Beirut then became a small town with a population of 10,000 people and it became an object of contention between the local Druze, the Ottomans and the Mamluks. Akka was captured in 1832 by Ibrahim Pasha and then the city began its revival.
The city started developing close commercial ties with imperial powers in Europe by the close of the 19th century. Europe has interest in Lebanese silk and other products that Beirut used to expert. These trade transactions transformed the city into a major port overnight. However Ottoman rule in Beirut continued to decline.
The city soon became a refugee camp for Christian refugees because of the changes in the political system that led to the Lebanon conflict in 1860. This in turn sowed the seeds of ethnic and religious trouble in Beirut. These riots happened due to the intervention of the European powers. The residents had realized that trade and prosperity of the region now depended on the local stability.
In the year 1888, the city was made the capital of vilayet in Syria. By this time the city had become a cosmopolitan center and it started having close links with Europe and America. Beirut now became a center of learning with universities such as American University of Beirut.
