On the first day of the Jewish feast of Hanukkah in December
1917, the Battle of Jerusalem resulted in the city of Jerusalem
falling to British forces led by General Allenby, after 400
years under Turkish rule. Allenby was an accomplished horseman
and it would have made sense for him to ride triumphantly into
the city. However on 11 December Allenby entered on foot out of
his great respect for the Holy City, becoming the first
Christian to control the city in centuries. Allenby placed the
city under martial law, and posted guards at several points
within the city and in Bethlehem to protect sites held sacred by
the Christian, Muslim and Jewish religions. This victory was the
end of the Ottoman Empire's rule over Jerusalem, which lasted
400 years. The Ottomans defeated the Mamelukes in 1517 and took
over the city, and in 1520 the Sultan Sulieman the Great decided
to use the city as a base for his rule over the area. This led
to the rebuilding of the walls in 1536-1541. These walls, which
still stand today, are