Inheritance Payment to an Armenian Widow 1913 Nevşehir Receipt Armenia

Receipt from the Emvâl-i Eytâm Administration – Inheritance Payment to an Armenian Widow (1913)

Description:
A historically rich and well-preserved Ottoman inheritance payment receipt issued by the Emvâl-i Eytâm İdaresi the state institution responsible for managing the property and financial rights of orphans and legally incapable individuals. Dated 4 Mayıs 1329 (17 May 1913), this official document records the payment of an inheritance share belonging to the Armenian community.

The receipt certifies that Ermeni milletinden Alboyacıoğlu Karabet’in terekesinden (the estate of Karabet, son of Alboyacı) his wife Erike received her rightful share:
1760 kuruş 30 para, consisting of gold and silver assets, paid out from the Nevşehir Sandığı.

The front side bears Ottoman tax stamps, Armenian signatures, and official seals. On the reverse, two Armenian witnesses; Bank clerk Ohannes Efendi and Hazar oğlu Musa Ağa certify that Erike has indeed collected the stated amount, each providing their signatures and personal seals.

This document provides a valuable window into:

• Armenian communal life in the late Ottoman Empire,
• inheritance laws applied through the Emvâl-i Eytâm system,
• the administrative structure of regional financial offices,
• intercommunal legal processes involving estates, widows, and witnesses.

Key Features:

• Type: Official payment receipt (Makbuz İlmuhaberi)
• Institution: Emvâl-i Eytâm İdaresi (Administration of Orphaned Properties)
• Purpose: Disbursement of inheritance share
• Estate Owner: Alboyacıoğlu Karabet (Armenian)
• Recipient: His widow, Erike
• Amount: 1760 kuruş 30 para (gold + silver assets)
• Treasury Source: Nevşehir Sandığı
• Date: 4 Mayıs 1329 (17 May 1913)
• Witnesses:
  • Ohannes Efendi (Armenian, bank clerk)
  • Hazar oğlu Musa Ağa (Armenian)
• Language: Ottoman Turkish with Armenian signatures
• Features: Tax stamps, seals, Armenian witness marks on reverse
• Historical Context:
  • Shows Ottoman legal protection for inheritance rights, including those of non-Muslim subjects.
  • Demonstrates the functioning of the Emvâl-i Eytâm system, crucial for safeguarding assets of vulnerable individuals.
  • A rare documented example of Armenian community-based inheritance proceedings shortly before WWI.