 In the 1840s the Ismaili chief of al-Qadmus successfully lobbied the Ottoman authorities to allow Ismaili resettlement of the abandoned town of Salamiyah, east of Hama.Pressure from the surrounding Alawite heartland caused many to emigrate for Salamiyah, although the town maintained its political and economic significance in the region and served a commanding role in the central Coastal Mountain Range, similar to that played by Safita.Al-Qadmus's inhabitants specialized in commerce and artisan crafts.