Sahli Collection (Ottoman Palestine, 1890- early 20th c.)

This is a unique collection of some 100 Ottoman and Arabic legal documents pertaining to land deeds, laissez-passer, and other legal documents from Ottoman Palestine, specifically from the Islamic court of Haifa. Items in the collection range in date from 1890 to the early 20^th c. They document the Sahli family’s rich and long history in Palestine, their socio-economic and social status, and they offer an interesting angle on human geography and legal history of Palestine and the region.  The documents represent an invaluable description of Ottoman Palestine, and constitute a wealth of information, in the face of the continued erasure and memory eradication of the history of Palestine. This is a true treasure mine for anyone interested in the Ottoman and modern history of Palestine, in the Palestinian question, in the right of return, in Islamic studies, anthropology, politics, Middle Eastern studies, as well calligraphy, and the material and visual culture of the region.