Editing Galilee (section)

=== Ayyubid and Mamluk periods ===
Sunni Muslims began to immigrate to [[Safed]] and its surroundings starting in the [[Ayyubid dynasty|Ayyubid]] period, and in particular during the [[Mamluk]] period. These immigrants included [[Sufism|Sufi preachers]] who were crucial in converting the locals to Islam in Safed's rural area. Jewish immigrants did, however, come to the area in waves, during the period of the destruction of Tyre and Acre in 1291 and particularly after the [[Expulsion of Jews from Spain|Jewish expulsion from Spain]] in 1492. These immigrants, who included scholars and other urban elites, turned the Jewish community from a rural community into an urban hub which exerted its influence well beyond the regional boundaries of Upper Galilee.<ref name=":5" />