Editing Sidon (section)

===Ottoman period===
After Sidon came under [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman Turkish]] rule in the early 16th century, it became the capital of the [[Sidon Eyalet]] (province) and regained a great deal of its earlier commercial importance.<ref name=":0" /> In 1521, [[Moses ben Mordecai Bassola|Moses Basola]] encountered twenty families of [[Musta'arabi Jews|Musta'rabi Jews]] during his visit to Sidon.<ref name=":03" />

During the 18th century, the city was dominated by the Hammud family of notables, who monopolized the production and exporting of cotton in the region and built numerous palaces and public works in the city. The Hammuds also served as government customs agents and tax collectors for various Ottoman religious foundations.<ref name=":0">{{cite journal |last1=Winter |first1=Stefan |url=https://www.academia.edu/44396298 |title=Saïda à l'époque des agha-s: la famille Hammud et l'État ottoman au XVIIIe siècle |journal=Archivum Ottomanicum |date=2020 |volume=37 |pages=219–242 |access-date=8 March 2022 |archive-date=13 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230213161506/https://www.academia.edu/44396298 |url-status=live }}</ref>

During the [[Egyptian–Ottoman War (1839–41)|Egyptian–Ottoman War]], Sidon, like much of [[Ottoman Syria]], was occupied by the forces of [[Muhammad Ali of Egypt]]. His ambitions were opposed by the British Empire, which backed the Ottomans. The [[British Empire|British]] Admiral [[Charles Napier (Royal Navy officer)|Charles Napier]], commanding a mixed squadron of British, Turkish and Austrian ships, bombarded Sidon on 26 September 1840, and landed with a column. Sidon capitulated in two days, and the British went on to [[Acre, Israel|Acre]]. This action was recalled in two Royal Navy vessels being named {{HMS|Sidon}}.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Colledge |first1=James Joseph |title=Ships of the Royal Navy: the complete record of all fighting ships of the Royal Navy from the 15th century to the present |last2=Warlow |first2=Ben |date=2006 |publisher=Chatham Publ |isbn=978-1-86176-281-8 |edition=New rev. |location=London}}</ref>

The 19th century brought significant changes to the Jewish community of Sidon. By 1830, the community, comprising around twenty-five families of primarily Arabic-speaking merchants, had customs akin to those of [[Old Yishuv|Judean Jews]]. Starting in 1850, the community witnessed growth as [[Maghrebi Jews]], initially settled in the [[Chouf District|Chouf Mountains]] above Beirut, migrated to Sidon and [[Beirut]] amidst escalating [[Druze]]-[[Maronites|Maronite]] tensions and the ensuing 1860 war. With roots in mountain traditions, they introduced citrus cultivation on the outskirts of Sidon, leading to the construction of a new [[synagogue]] in 1860 to meet the needs of the expanding community.<ref name=":03" />

From 1887 the [[Royal necropolis of Ayaa|Royal necropolis of Sidon]] was extensively excavated by the Ottomans, and its treasures transferred to [[Istanbul]] (like the [[Alexander sarcophagus]]). Sidon was a small fishing town of 10,000 inhabitants in 1900.