In 1915, the Ottoman Empire established a remarkable educational institution in Al Quds under the name of Saladin Ayyubî Külliye-i Islamiya. However, this institution had a mission that went beyond being a simple school. This complex, which was a part of the political, military and social projects of the Ottoman Empire, was also designed as a symbol of a radical transformation in the field of education. Prof. Dr. Kenan Ziya Taş, in his book “Osmanlının Son Cihan Projesi Al Quds Salahaddin Eyyubi Külliye-i İslamiyesi” (The Last World Project of the Ottoman Empire, Al Quds Salahaddin Eyyubi Külliye-i İslamiyesi), after explaining the mission and vision of the school, he also published the document explaining the purpose of its establishment.
The Second Constitutional Monarchy was a period in the history of education in the Ottoman Empire where efforts to blend religious education with modern sciences intensified. In this period, the establishment of kindergartens, the preparation of the Tedrisat-ı İptidaiye Kanun-ı Muvakkatı and the modernization of madrasas were noteworthy. The reforms, which started on October 1, 1914 with the Islah-ı Medâris Regulation, gathered madrasas under a central structure and aimed to restructure madrasas both in Istanbul and in the provinces.
The “Five-Year Provincial Madrasa” model, which was an important part of these reforms, was a modernized version of the traditional Ottoman madrasa. These madrasas aimed to train leaders who would shape the intellectual and political future of the country by offering both religious education and modern sciences. The Madrasa-i Külliye planned to be opened in Medina and the Saladin Ayyubî Külliye-i İslâmiye in Al Quds were two major projects that emerged in this context.
The Külliye primarily aimed to ensure the unity and solidarity of Ottoman Muslim subjects, especially the Arab community. From a broader perspective, it undertook the mission of strengthening unity among Muslims all over the world. This complex, which was a reflection of the Ottoman Empire’s policy of Islamic Unity in the field of education, drew attention with its international character. It offered an international and multicultural education model in the modern sense by accepting students from a wide geography from South Africa to Morocco, from Kazan to India and China.
Cemil Bey (Bilsel), who would become one of the founders of the Ankara Law Faculty in the Republican era, was appointed as the first director of the complex. The mission of the complex was not limited to individual education, but to train leaders who would shape the future of society. According to the diary of the Arab journalist Ihsan al-Tarjuman, the complex was established to “support the intellectual foundations of an Islamic movement committed to the Ottoman Empire”. At the same time, the institution aimed to create a new community of Muslim intellectuals who were well acquainted with the Ottoman Empire.
Saladin Ayyubî Külliye-i İslâmiye had a multifaceted educational approach. In addition to classical Islamic sciences such as tafsir, hadith, fiqh, kalam, modern disciplines such as western law, philosophy, psychology and sociology were also included in the program in order to train experts in religious and scientific fields. Another innovative aspect of the Külliye was the importance it attached to language education. Every student graduated with at least one Eastern and one Western language in addition to Turkish and Arabic. German, French, English, Russian, Persian, Urdu and Tatar were compulsory. This language education was not only a reflection of the multicultural structure of the Ottoman Empire, but also aimed to help students become effective individuals in the international arena.
In short. Saladin Ayyubî Külliye-i İslâmiye was a remarkable example not only of the Ottoman education system but also of the history of world education. Through this complex, Al Quds and Palestine were to be kept on the agenda of the world’s Muslims. Unfortunately, Saladin Ayyubî Külliye-i İslâmiyesi had to cease its activities with the end of the Ottoman Empire’s rule in this region. However, despite its short life, the educational legacy of this institution is remembered as one of the strongest proofs of the need for an international educational model in the last period of the Ottoman Empire.
Source: https://www.istiklal.com.tr/osmanlinin-son-kudus-projesi
