The waqfs of hajja sitt ikhwitha and khalil dahmash in the city of al-ludd: local agents of urban change

Abstract

This article focuses on the urban development of the city of al-Ludd (Lydda) at the end of the 19th and the turn of the 20th century. It builds on two cases that left their mark on the city’s landscape and considerably affected its social life. The first case involves the endowment deed of a woman who used the revenues from her estate to help the poor and pilgrims. The second case, documented in the archive of the Supreme Muslim Council, has to do with the building of a market adjacent to a newly-established mosque. The first case came to its conclusion after the woman passed away, whereas the market continued to develop. These cases are both illustrative of urban and social dynamics that also shaped topography by changing the face of the city map.