Lost treasure of the Ottoman Empire

hello all

A circumstance in history determines why, how and where treasure is buried. Treasure legends are sometimes fragments of information passed on from those events.

In the final stages of World War 1 the Ottoman Empire began crumble in the Middle East. With the famous Lawrence of Arabia attacking with guerrilla war tactics of hit and run to the Ottoman’s army rear and the British Army invading Palestine inevitably led to the final confrontation Battle of Megiddo.
British general Allenby out flanked the Ottoman Turkish forces fighting a defensive retreat to Syria led by a series of successive generals led by Mustafa Kernal Ataturk and supported by German support delegation led by Otto Liman Von Sanders.
 
In the chaos of the Turkish retreat 100000 gold Turkish pounds was allegedly buried near Jenin in now present day Israel. Today’s value could be up about 20 million.

In 1924 The Dally Express London reported the capture of four Germans who survived with the Turkish forces who must have been part of Otto Liman Von Sanders Chief of staff.  There must be something in the story as the British continued the excavations at the site. However there was no follow up story of any treasure being recovered.

The mystery is has the treasure be recovered by the British or it still there or elsewhere? It is interesting to note that a Thunting member about 2 years ago made inquiries relating to this treasure on this treasure by not buried at Jenin, but inferred this treasure may be buried in 2 abandoned buried foundations along a railway line in Syria. Did he have another source of information?

Unfortunately for him Syria has disintegrated into Civil war and the results of his search are not known. At present due to conflict in Israel with the Palestinian uprising and refugee camp surrounding Jenin and civil war in Syria makes this one of the most dangerous treasure legends to explore on the ground.
Anyone wanting to learn more about the treasure might get some benefit from reading British Foreign office dispatches from Palestine from 1924. Letters of correspondence of General Allenby or letters from Otto Liman Von Sanders may also bear fruit as well.
 
As treasure legends go there is scope for further research however this treasure legend is in a high risk region with a multitude of problems for a would be treasure hunter to deal with.  A treasure legend for the most determined and diehard of searchers a real challenge.

Hardluck


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Hello BA

Yes I tend to agree with you all possabilities on the table with this one. One problem Jenin has quadupled insize since WW1 just in the years 1995- 2001 you can see amount of expansion. Perhaps the site of the alleged treasure if it is still there is buried under tons of concrete and steel in houses made by Palistineian refugges as Jenin has one of the largest refugee camps in Isreal.

For more information I think the British foriegn office records Dispatches from Palistines especially in the years 1917-1918 and 1924 may bring to light more information. Failing that any letters or corespondance via Otto Liman Von Sanders and Mustafa Ataturk might bring more details to light.

Hardluck

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