TRENDEAtlas of the Sultans · Cities

When did Beirut become Ottoman?

Today: Lebanon · Middle East and Egypt

393years under Ottoman rule

Beirut came under Ottoman rule in 1516; Ottoman rule ended in 1918. It changed hands in between; there are 2 separate Ottoman periods. After 1888 it was the capital of the province of Beirut.

Beirut
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1516–1831 · 315 years1840–1918 · 78 years

Chronology

  1. 1516
    Became Ottoman

    It came under Ottoman rule with the region during Selim I's Egyptian campaign.

    Sultan: Selim I
  2. 1772
    Note

    A Russian fleet bombarded the city and landed troops but withdrew in the face of fierce resistance.

    Sultan: Mustafa III
  3. 1831
    Left Ottoman rule

    The Egyptian army of Ibrahim Pasha, son of Muhammad Ali, occupied Syria; the city stayed under Egyptian rule until 1840.

    Sultan: Mahmud II
  4. 1840
    Became Ottoman

    The Egyptian forces withdrew and the city returned to Ottoman rule.

    Sultan: Abdulmejid I
  5. 1918
    Left Ottoman rule

    The Ottomans withdrew; on 7 October 1918 French forces occupied the area.

    Sultan: Mehmed VI

How the total is counted: years of actual Ottoman rule are added up. Temporary occupations shorter than a year (that were reversed) are not subtracted; they appear as notes in the chronology.

In the atlas

On the atlas map the city lies in the region “Syria–Lebanon (Aleppo–Damascus)”. Map colours work at region level, so the city's own dates may differ from the region's by a few years.

Open the map in 1516

Source: TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, “BEYRUT” (Turkish); text written for the atlas.