Ottoman Empire | Al Majalla

The last Caliph Abdelmejid II in Nice, France, during his exile.

This day in history: Turkey abolishes the Caliphate

On this day 100 years ago, President Kemal Ataturk abolished the Muslim Caliphate in Turkey 14 months after doing away with the title of sultan

Sami Moubayed 03 March 2024

The treaty which gave rise to modern Turkey created a new world order which was outdated from the start. The Kurds ended up getting the shortest end of the stick.

Albane Simon

Lausanne centenary: The treaty that continues to pain the region

The treaty which gave rise to modern Turkey created a new world order which was outdated from the start. The Kurds ended up getting the shortest end of the stick.

Al Majalla - London 22 July 2023

Sami Moubayed Archive

Abdul Rahman al-Yusuf: The Syrian pasha who was killed three times

The president of the Shura Council during Ottoman rule was assassinated and purposely left out of Syrian history. The burning down of his family mansion this week was the final nail in his coffin.

Sami Moubayed 20 July 2023

Supplied

The first Arab Congress of 1913 and its tragic outcome

The 110th anniversary of the first Arab Congress in Paris sheds light on a tumultuous era in Arab history as its people battled for reform under the Ottoman Empire. However, it had a tragic ending.

Sami Moubayed 23 June 2023

The architects of the 1913 coup were officers from the Committee of Union and Progress (CUP)

Jamie Wignall

The coup that brought down the Ottoman Empire

The Ottoman coups inspired similar coups against leaders in Iran, Iraq and Syria

Sami Moubayed 28 February 2023

Al-Alfy Street in downtown Cairo. (Credit: Salwa Samir)

Al-Alfy: Egypt’s Champs-Elysées

During his reign, Khedive Ismail (r. 1863-1879) had dreamt to make downtown Cairo resemble the European countries that underwent remarkable progress in the field of architecture at that time…

Salwa Samir 14 January 2023

The stage consists of a round wooden platform as a stage surrounded by a small wooden partition with two doors for the dervishes to enter and leave before and after their Mawlawi performance. (Credit: Salwa Samir)

Takiya Al-Mawlawiyah

Takiya Al-Mawlawiyah, in Cairo’s historic neighbourhood of El-Darb El-Ahmar, is the only remaining Takiya with dervish theater. It has a rich history that dates back to the 14th century. Takiya…

Salwa Samir 06 August 2022

Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (left) shake hands after a press conference in Sochi, Russia, where they agreed on the ten points of the Russian-Turkish memorandum on northeast Syria/AP

How Did Ankara Succeed in Luring Moscow into Mediation with Ukraine?

Offers of political mediation between Russia and Ukraine have not stopped since the outbreak of the Ukrainian crisis in 2014 and the tragic events that followed, reaching their climax these days,…

Samy Amara 01 April 2022

Cover of "Stories My Father Told Me" By Elia Zughaib and Helen Zughaib

Memories from Syria

The recent Syrian immigration to the West after the start of the civil war was not the first, although it has been massive in scale, and involved utmost cruelty. The first wave was during the end of…

Mohammad Ali Salih 04 February 2022

Popular
Editor's Pick

Pep Boatella

Politics

Lebanon’s challenge to disarm Hezbollah

02 September 2025

Al Majalla tackles the latest developments, including signals from Washington and Riyadh, as well as Tehran's red lines

Al Majalla - London

Nash

Business & Economy

Trump’s tariffs are forging a new global order

31 August 2025

As the leaders of India and China convene in Tianjin for the SCO summit, their meeting shines a light on a push by global economies to cement new trade architectures away from the West

Shirley Ze Yu

Displaced Sudanese children gather at a camp near the town of Tawila in North Darfur on February 11, 2025, amid the ongoing war between the army and paramilitary forces.

AFP

Politics

The tragedy of Sudan’s forgotten war

02 September 2025

Two-and-a-half years into Sudan's brutal war, atrocities are commonplace, millions have been displaced, and foreign-backed militias profit from chaos

Amgad Fareid Eltayeb

Business & Economy

Syria’s post-Assad energy quandary

01 September 2025

The country now sits at an energy crossroads: will its recovery be anchored in oil and gas, or will it seize the chance to lean into renewables and build something more resilient?

Jesse Marks

Al-Ma'arri in his residence as depicted in a 1965 book

Wikipedia Commons

Culture & Social Affairs

Al-Ma’arri’s satirical poetry reimagined for today's readers

02 September 2025

Recent books from Yemen, Egypt, and Syria take a new look at the 10th-century philosopher's famed letter 'The Epistle of Forgiveness', which is said to have inspired Dante's 'Divine Comedy'

Ali Almuqri

Sections

Regions

More

LATEST ISSUE

This day in history: Turkey abolishes the Caliphate

Lausanne centenary: The treaty that continues to pain the region

Abdul Rahman al-Yusuf: The Syrian pasha who was killed three times

The first Arab Congress of 1913 and its tragic outcome

The coup that brought down the Ottoman Empire

Al-Alfy: Egypt’s Champs-Elysées

Takiya Al-Mawlawiyah

How Did Ankara Succeed in Luring Moscow into Mediation with Ukraine?

Memories from Syria

Lebanon’s challenge to disarm Hezbollah

Trump’s tariffs are forging a new global order

The tragedy of Sudan’s forgotten war

Syria’s post-Assad energy quandary

Al-Ma’arri’s satirical poetry reimagined for today's readers

OPINIONS

For Afghan quake victims, sympathy came faster than help

Algeria’s mineral wealth gives it a new edge

The push to eliminate trans fat is gaining steam

Policy backfire? Trump pushes India into China's arms

Sign up for the Weekly Newsletter