Osmanlı döneminden kalan İstanbul vakıflarına ait son tahrir defteri

Abstract

Tahrir Defters (tax registers) are known to be extremely valuable in historical research on the Ottoman cities and other settlements. Registers of foundations in Istanbul have more importance because they include detailed information on the development of economic, social and administrative structure of city life. Among three foundation registers prepared for Surriçi part (walled city) of Istanbul, the last one (dated 1009/1600) is a more important source of information, as no registers have been prepared since the 15th century. The first register on foundations in Istanbul was prepared and published by Omer Lutfi Barkan and Ekrem Hakkı Ayverdi in 1970 and the last one by Mehmet Canatar in 2004. In this study, we outline characteristic feature and content of last Ottoman-era Istanbul foundation registers, highlight issues regarding the decrease in the number of cash foundations and development problems in Istanbul districts. Also we elaborate on the preparation stage of this register by pointing to the importance of this goldmine of information.