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Turks explore Ottoman past in visits to Jerusalem

Turkish pilgrims and visitors are increasingly heading to Jerusalem, following Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's call on Muslims to visit the holy city.
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RAMALLAH, West Bank — A Turkish delegation of 110 members from Meram district municipality, in Konya province, arrived in Jerusalem Nov. 9 in support of an initiative — dubbed “Following in the footsteps of Abdul Hamid” — which was designed to clean up the Ottoman buildings, alleys of Jerusalem's Old City and the area of Al-Aqsa Mosque, and to sprinkle rose water there.

The initiative was launched in November by the Meram district municipality, with the aim of promoting the Turkish presence in Jerusalem, making visits to Al-Aqsa Mosque in response to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's calls and learning about the Ottoman antiquities in the Palestinian territories.

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