Muhammad Abu-Nabbut
Encyclopedia
Muhammad Abu Nabbut was the governor of Jaffa
Jaffa
Jaffa is an ancient port city believed to be one of the oldest in the world. Jaffa was incorporated with Tel Aviv creating the city of Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel. Jaffa is famous for its association with the biblical story of the prophet Jonah.-Etymology:...

 and Gaza
Gaza
Gaza , also referred to as Gaza City, is a Palestinian city in the Gaza Strip, with a population of about 450,000, making it the largest city in the Palestinian territories.Inhabited since at least the 15th century BC,...

 in the early 19th century on behalf of the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...

. He reigned from 1807 to 1818.

Biography

Abu Nabbut started his military and political career as a mamluk
Mamluk
A Mamluk was a soldier of slave origin, who were predominantly Cumans/Kipchaks The "mamluk phenomenon", as David Ayalon dubbed the creation of the specific warrior...

("slave soldier") in the courtyard of Jezzar Pasha
Jezzar Pasha
Ahmed al-Jazzar was the Ottoman ruler of Acre and the Galilee from 1775 until his death.-Biography:...

, the governor of Acre
Acre, Israel
Acre , is a city in the Western Galilee region of northern Israel at the northern extremity of Haifa Bay. Acre is one of the oldest continuously inhabited sites in the country....

. A few years after Jezzar's death in 1804, he was appointed by Jezzar's heir, Sulayman Pasha, as governor of the districts of Jaffa and Gaza.

Abu-Nabbut possessed a similar character to Jezzar, becoming known for his ambitious construction and refurbishment projects in Jaffa and for his boundless cruelty as a ruler. He was also known as a just ruler who strove to improve Jaffa and better its inhabitants. Under his rule, the population and economic conditions of Jaffa and Gaza improved substantially.

A number of legends surrounded Abu-Nabbut including one concerning his name. Abu-Nabbut, meaning "Father of the Club" in Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...

, supposedly was attributed to him from his habit of roaming the streets of Jaffa with a club, beating anyone who disobeyed his orders. The English traveller Irby, who passed through Jaffa in 1817, observed that while his formal name was "Mohammed Aga", he was referred to as "Abou Nabout"; "the master of the mace or stick". Another local Palestinian legend tells of how Abu-Nabbut was locked out of Jaffa after leaving the city to walk through the nearby orchards. When he demanded the gate be opened for him, the guard refused because he did not believe it was Abu-Nabbut waiting outside. After repeated calls, Abu-Nabbut was allowed entry. The next morning he summoned all of Jaffa's inhabitants and proclaimed "Cursed be the man, and cursed his father, who joins himself to a man of Jaffa." He ordered that this to be engraved on his well along the Jaffa Road
Jaffa Road
Jaffa Road is one of the longest and oldest streets in Jerusalem. It crosses the city from east to west, from the Old City walls to downtown Jerusalem, the western portal of Jerusalem and the Jerusalem-Tel Aviv highway. It is lined with shops, businesses and restaurants...

.

When Sulayman Pasha of Acre fell ill in 1818, Abu Nabbut apparently made moves to become his successor as governor of Acre. However, this did not suit Sulayman Pasha's influential financial advisor, Haim Farhi
Haim Farhi
Haim Farhi , was an adviser to the governors of the Galilee in the days of the Ottoman Empire. Among the Jews he was known as Hakham Haim, because of his Talmudic learning....

, who favoured his young protege Abdallah Pasha, believing that Abdallah would be more easy to control. Haim Farhi therefore convinced Sulayman Pasha in the summer of 1818 to move against Abu Nabut. Abu Nabut was hence removed from Jaffa through an internal coup. This earned Haim Farhi the eternal enmity of Abu Nabut, who after his removal from Jaffa went to Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...

, "where he could intrigue" against Haim.

Between 1819 and 1827 Abu-Nabbut again served as a governor, first at Selanik, then at Diyarbakir
Diyarbakir
Diyarbakır is one of the largest cities in southeastern Turkey...

.

After enquiries in Jaffa in the 1870s, Clermont-Ganneau
Charles Simon Clermont-Ganneau
Charles Simon Clermont-Ganneau was a noted French Orientalist and archaeologist.-Biography:Clermont-Ganneau was born in Paris, son of a sculptor of some repute...

 found that the tomb of "the legendary Abu Nabbut" was located near the Sebil Abu Nabbut in Jaffa. This tomb survived at least until 1950, but it has now disappeared.

Buildings

During his tenure as governor Abu-Nabbut was responsible for a large number of building projects in Jaffa, including the completion of the fortifications of the city, the renovation of the Great Mosque
Mahmoudiya Mosque
The Mahmoudiya Mosque is the largest and most significant mosque in Jaffa, now part of the larger city of Tel Aviv. It is composed of a complex of buildings arranged around two large courtyards and a third, smaller, courtyard...

, the erection of two sabils (public fountains), and the construction of cotton and wool markets.

Fortifications

The French sacking of the city after the Siege of Jaffa
Siege of Jaffa
The Siege of Jaffa was fought from 3 to 7 March 1799 between France and the Ottoman Empire. The French were led by Napoleon Bonaparte, and they captured the city.-Course:...

 in 1799 proved the inadequacy of the city walls, and when the city was returned to Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...

 control in 1800, Turkish and British engineers began to rebuild the fortifications. This task was completed under Abu-Nabbut from 1810 and onwards. Abu Nabbut added a monumental eastern gate crowned with three cupolas. The fortifications were specially designed to cope with European artillery and possessed thick walls, with substantial corner bastions, capable of supporting large cannon
Cannon
A cannon is any piece of artillery that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellents to launch a projectile. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees,...

s. Similar fortifications have survived at Acre
Acre, Israel
Acre , is a city in the Western Galilee region of northern Israel at the northern extremity of Haifa Bay. Acre is one of the oldest continuously inhabited sites in the country....

. However, later in the eighteenth century the political situation had changed, and Abu-Nabbut's fortifications were no longer needed. By 1888 the dismantling process was complete and the moat
Moat
A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that surrounds a castle, other building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive water defences, including natural or artificial lakes, dams and sluices...

 was entirely filled in. Today, only two gateways and a short section of Abu-Nabbut's wall remains.

Mahmoudiya Mosque‎

During his tenure as governor, in 1812, Abu-Nabbut ordered the construction of the Mahmoudiya Mosque
Mahmoudiya Mosque
The Mahmoudiya Mosque is the largest and most significant mosque in Jaffa, now part of the larger city of Tel Aviv. It is composed of a complex of buildings arranged around two large courtyards and a third, smaller, courtyard...

 which today is the largest mosque in Jaffa.

Sabil Abu Nabbut, Jaffa

Above the columns on the west side of the building is a plaque commemorating the construction of the sabil in 1236 H.

Palestinian villages

The inhabitants of Al-Jiyya
Al-Jiyya
al-Jiyya was a Palestinian village that was depopulated during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. Located 19 kilometers northeast of Gaza City, according to a 1945 census, the village had a population of 1,230...

reported that their village had been ruined at one point and then rebuilt by Aby Nabbut.
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