Visit The Syria Report Subscribe to our mailing list
EN ع
  • Twitter
Syria Report
  • All articles
  • News
  • Analysis & Features
  • Reports & Papers
  • Regulations
  • Directory
  • Search
  • Menu Menu
Home1 / HLP2 / Analysis & Features3 / Explained: Ministry of Endowments Properties4
Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Explained: Ministry of Endowments Properties

09-06-2021/in Analysis & Features, HLP /by admin

Law No. 31 of 2018 regulates the Ministry of Endowments, as well as its role in administering and investing in endowment real estate properties.

Under Law No. 31, endowment properties are defined as “movable and immovable assets set aside for God Almighty and allocated for the public benefit in accordance with Islamic Sharia law”. The endowments system has long been recognised and is related to allocating properties for the benefit of orphans, the poor, students, the homeless and others. Ownership of such properties is considered to be out of the hands of the actual owner, by his will, such that the properties benefit the public. It is not permitted to transfer ownership of such properties because they are “under the rule of God’s possession”. Such endowments were widespread during the Mamluk and Ottoman eras, and special departments were formed to regulate them. They still exist today in most Muslim-majority countries.

Law No. 31 classifies endowment properties as having a special nature: they are neither state nor individually owned properties, although most were originally owned and then donated by individuals. Endowment properties can include mosques, convents, schools, libraries, cemeteries, and shrines.

Prior to Law No. 31, endowment properties were leased for long periods of time and were subject to the system of compulsory extension. However, the law obligated the tenant to repair and restore the property if it faced damage due to war, within two years of the date the property was granted to them by the Ministry’s Directorate of Endowments. Tenants must pay for repairs at their own expense but have the right to claim compensation later on. They must also continue paying rent to the Directorate of Endowments throughout the lease period, or else the rental contract is annulled.

The issue, however, is that many endowments property tenants have fled their homes or been forcibly displaced. Some are unable to return, as they are wanted by the regime’s security forces. This makes it difficult for them to repair and restore the properties within the two-year time period, even if they continue paying rent through intermediaries.

Law No. 31 also grants the Central Endowments Council, which is headed by the Minister of Endowments and has broad powers, the right to prevent tenants from restoring destroyed properties. The council may take the property back if it decides that a more useful building may be constructed in its place. Under the law, the tenant of such a property is given priority to rent another property from the Ministry in the same location, with a different surface area, contract and rental price.

Article 52 of Law No. 31 allows the Ministry of Endowments and the Central Endowments Council to sell, mortgage or exchange such real estate, even though this measure violates the basic principle of endowments, which prohibits the sale or disposal of endowment assets outside the purpose they were intended for.

Recently, the Ministry of Endowments and related agencies began implementing parts of Law No. 31, including taking back endowment properties and offering them for investment. This has occurred so far in Aleppo city’s Masaken Hanano neighbourhood, as well as the Old City centre. Both neighbourhoods were heavily destroyed during the war, with residents forcibly displaced by the regime in late 2016.

Announcement of a public auction of endowment properties

Source: Ministry of Endowments

Post Views: 24
Tags: english
Share this entry
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on WhatsApp
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share by Mail
https://hlp.syria-report.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Logo-300x81.png 0 0 admin https://hlp.syria-report.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Logo-300x81.png admin2021-06-09 23:30:002021-07-08 14:16:22Explained: Ministry of Endowments Properties

Read also

  • Explained: Limitation of Real Estate Disposal
  • Explained: How the General Directorate of Cadastral Affairs Stores Documents
  • Explained: General Directorate of Cadastral Affairs
  • Explained: Law No. 33 and Documenting Real Estate Ownership in Informal settlements
HelpAbout usContact usAdvertise with The Syria ReportTerms & conditions
Copyright © 2022 The Syria Report – all rights reserved. Your use of this website is subject to our legal terms & conditions
Explained: Informal Housing in Hama العسالي بدمشق: جزء منسي من باسيليا سيتي
Scroll to top

This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies.

Ok

Cookie and Privacy Settings



How we use cookies

We may request cookies to be set on your device. We use cookies to let us know when you visit our websites, how you interact with us, to enrich your user experience, and to customize your relationship with our website.

Click on the different category headings to find out more. You can also change some of your preferences. Note that blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience on our websites and the services we are able to offer.

Essential Website Cookies

These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features.

Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, refuseing them will have impact how our site functions. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. But this will always prompt you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site.

We fully respect if you want to refuse cookies but to avoid asking you again and again kindly allow us to store a cookie for that. You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. If you refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our domain.

We provide you with a list of stored cookies on your computer in our domain so you can check what we stored. Due to security reasons we are not able to show or modify cookies from other domains. You can check these in your browser security settings.

Other external services

We also use different external services like Google Webfonts, Google Maps, and external Video providers. Since these providers may collect personal data like your IP address we allow you to block them here. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. Changes will take effect once you reload the page.

Google Webfont Settings:

Google Map Settings:

Google reCaptcha Settings:

Vimeo and Youtube video embeds:

Privacy Policy

You can read about our cookies and privacy settings in detail on our Privacy Policy Page.