1200-1300: Mamluks and Synagogues
In the 13th century, the Land of Israel was ruled by the Mamluks. The pagan Mongols overran large parts of the Muslim and Christian worlds and the ancient Muslim system of the rule of soldier castes, consisting of imported slaves, reached its zenith in the domination of Egypt, Palestine and Syria by the Mamluks (1250–1517). The Jewish population was centered in Jerusalem, Nablus, Jaffa, Gaza and Hebron. In this century, 300 rabbis from France and from the south of England emigrated to Jerusalem and built houses of prayer in Jerusalem, and their presence in the city is referred to by Al Harizi, the Spanish Hebrew poet, who wrote a poetic narrative of his travel experiences. Noted scholar Nachmanides (also known as Ramban) arrived in Jerusalem in 1267 and reconstructed a synagogue for prayer and study.