Migration and the constitution of urbanity in Jeddah in the 19th century
Prof. Dr. Ulrike Freitag
The city of Jeddah in the Hijaz was and is the first port of call for Muslim pilgrims to Mecca. During the 19th century, it also served as the major economic centre of the region and, periodically, as seat of the Ottoman governor. These functions attracted migrants who settled in Jeddah.
The project investigates the history of migration, and the integration of the migrants into the urban fabric during a period of rapid change. The rapid expansion of transport and trade in the wake of the introduction of steamshipping, the opening of the Suez-Canal and European expansion as well as the Ottoman reforms are only some of the most significant changes. The project aims to investigate the mechanisms through which migrants from Yemen, Iran, India and the Horn of Africa became part of the city, and the conflicts caused by migration. Can Jeddah be considered a model of cosmopolitanism?
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