Abd – el – Kader saves Christians during his exile in Damascus

Painting by Jan-Baptist Huysmans (1861), representing Emir Abd el-Kader, protecting Christians in Damascus in 1860, during the massacres committed by the Druze.
The confessional troubles of Mount Lebanon reached Damascus between 9 and 17 July 1860 (Massacre of Damascus). Without the governor of the city, Ahmed Pasha, intervening, Druze attack the Christian, Greek and Maronite districts, killing more than five thousand inhabitants according to the general of Hautpoul.
The emir intervenes to stop the massacre and protects with the danger of his life 37 the community of the Christians of Damascus. Thanks to his influence with the dignitaries of the city and the members of his suite who followed him in his exile, some 12,000 will survive, but 10,000 will still find death.
Abd-el-Kader must even intervene by force with the members of his suite, to protect the Christian families who have taken refuge in numbers in the neighborhood of Algerians. He killed some looters. As a result of these events and calm returned, he retired several days to the tomb of Ibn 'arabi (district of sheikh Mouhidin) to pray, meditate and fast.
Abd-el-Kader receives the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor and other marks of recognition from all over the world (including the Pope, the Russian Tsar, etc.), especially a pair of pistols from the King of Prussia in thanks for this act of protection of the Christians of Damascus.

 file size: 3543 x 1933 px, 30 x 16,37 cm (300dpi), 3,8 MB