Marjeh Square ( ar, ساحة المرجة /

ALA-LC ALA-LC (American Library AssociationLibrary of Congress) is a set of standards for romanization, the representation of text in other writing systems using the Latin script. Applications The system is used to represent bibliographic information by ...

: ''sāḥat al-Marjah''), also known as "Martyrs' Square" ( ''sāḥat ash-Shuhadā’''), is a square in central

Damascus )), is an adjective which means "spacious". , motto = , image_flag = Flag of Damascus.svg , image_seal = Emblem of Damascus.svg , seal_type = Seal , map_caption = , ...

, Syria, just outside the walls of the old city. The Syrian

Interior Ministry An interior ministry (sometimes called a ministry of internal affairs or ministry of home affairs) is a government department that is responsible for internal affairs. Lists of current ministries of internal affairs Named "ministry" * Ministr ...

has its headquarters in the square.

History

The square was built by the

Ottomans The Ottoman Turks ( tr, Osmanlı Türkleri), were the Turkic founding and sociopolitically the most dominant ethnic group of the Ottoman Empire ( 1299/1302–1922). Reliable information about the early history of Ottoman Turks remains scarce, ...

in the late nineteenth century. A new post office and municipality were built there using steel and cement, new materials for Damascus at that time. The Ottomans publicly executed seven Syrian national activists in the square on

Martyrs' Day Martyrs' Day is an annual day observed by nations to salute the martyrdom of soldiers who lost their lives defending the sovereignty of the nation. The actual date may vary from one country to another. Here is a list of countries and Martyrs' Days. ...

, 6 May 1916, and it is for this reason known as "Martyrs' Square". After the French took control of Syria they continued to use the square for the same purpose. Fakhri Hassan al-Kharrat, son of the

Great Syrian Revolt The Great Syrian Revolt ( ar, الثورة السورية الكبرى) or Revolt of 1925 was a general uprising across the State of Syria and Greater Lebanon during the period of 1925 to 1927. The leading rebel forces comprised fighters of th ...

leader

Hasan al-Kharrat Abu Muhammad Hasan al-Kharrat ( ar, حسن الخراط ''Ḥassan al-Kharrāṭ''; 1861 – 25 December 1925) was one of the principal Syrian rebel commanders of the Great Syrian Revolt against the French Mandate. His main area of operations w ...

, was hanged there in 1925–26. On 18 May 1965, Israeli spy

Eli Cohen Eliyahu Ben-Shaul Cohen ( he, אֱלִיָּהוּ בֵּן שָׁאוּל כֹּהֵן‎, ar, إيلياهو بن شاؤول كوهين‎; 6 December 1924 – 18 May 1965), commonly known as Eli Cohen, was an Egyptian-born Israel ...

was publicly hanged in Marjeh Square.Thomas, Gordon: ''Gideon's Spies: The Secret History of the Mossad'' Damascus-29.jpg, The Post Office building in the square in 1890 Syriancorpse.jpg, Hanging during the

Arab Revolt The Arab Revolt ( ar, الثورة العربية, ) or the Great Arab Revolt ( ar, الثورة العربية الكبرى, ) was a military uprising of Arab forces against the Ottoman Empire in the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I. On ...

, 1916–1918 Marjeh, het plein der martelaren, Bestanddeelnr 255-5841.jpg, In 1950 Marjeh square 2009.jpg, In 2009

References

1890 establishments in the Ottoman Empire Squares in Damascus {{Syria-stub