Jordan marks death anniversary of Sharif Hussein Bin Ali

AMMAN — The Kingdom on Wednesday marks the 89th death anniversary of Sharif Hussein Bin Ali (1852-1931). Sharif Hussein, who was the emir of Mecca and the king of Hijaz, launched the Great Arab Revolt in June 1916 with the objective of establishing an independent and unified Arab state.

Instead, the dismembered Ottoman lands were carved into several mandates and protectorates at the hands of the British and the French.

The Great Arab Revolt secured Arab rule over most of the Arabian Peninsula, Syria and all of modern Jordan, founded by Sharif Hussein’s son, King Abdullah I. In 1924, Sharif Hussein donated a large amount of money for the reconstruction of Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.

In 1926, he was exiled to Cyprus where he funded the building of an Armenian church. In 1931, the exiled king returned to Amman, where he died. In fulfilment of his will, Sharif Hussein was buried near Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.