Early Modern and Modern Era Syria

Following the capture of Constantinople in 1453 and Trebizond in 1461, the expanding Ottoman Empire turned south towards Syria. The Ottomans took control of the province in 1516 from the Mamluks, who were based in Egypt. Ottoman control in the region would remain until 1923. After the defeat of the Ottomans and the other Axis powers in World War I, control over Syria passed to French colonial authorities.

The modern Syrian state emerged from colonial rule in 1950. However, the defining event of the country’s recent past is the on-going civil war (2011-present). The war has seen immense harm to human life and the cultural history of the country, with the ISIS caliphate, in particular, targeting the diverse and rich cultural heritage of Syria. While the damage that ISIS caused has still not been fully assessed, the photographs within the Kidner collection may help to preserve what is lost.