Syrian protestant college in American missionary archives (1887-1902)

Abstract

American Protestant missionary colleges spread throughout the Ottoman Empire following the declaration of the Imperial Edict of Gulhane and the Edict of Reform. Thereafter, the number of missionary schools increased quickly. This paper focuses on the period between 1887-1902 in the Syrian Protestant College, which was started by American missionaries in Syria. Founded in 1866, the school turned into a prominent institution in the region within 20 years. The school was particularly popular for its provision of medical studies. Serving students from different religious and sectarian backgrounds, the college also had an international nature. It was not only instrumental in the spread of Arab nationalism in the region, but was also famous for the high quality education it offered as well as its library, museum, laboratories and fossil collections in the 1880s. This study analyzes the school between 1887-1902 based on the American Missionary archives.