Ottoman 1899 Land Deed House in İstanbul Bakırköy Title Armenian Family Armenia

Ottoman Title Deed – Küçükçekmece / Bakırköy, Istanbul (1899)

Description:

This Ottoman-era title deed (tapu) is dated 3 June 1315 (15 June 1899) and relates to a residential property located in İstanbul, within Bakırköy, specifically the Küçükçekmece area. The property is described as a single residential house belonging to the Bayezid-i Veli Vakfı under the mukata‘a system, indicating vakıf ownership with usage rights held by private individuals.

The deed provides a detailed description of the property’s boundaries, noting neighboring houses and public access. The house was constructed on an area of 108 zira. Initially, the property belonged to Modelci Kapril Ağa and his wife Horopsima, daughter of Kirkor, both Ottoman Armenian citizens.

Due to financial obligations, the couple transferred the house vafāen ferāğ to the Istanbul Emniyet Sandığı, meaning the property was pledged as collateral for a loan rather than sold outright. The Emniyet Sandığı was established as a financial institution to support individuals facing hardship, preventing them from falling into the hands of usurers by providing loans secured against movable and immovable property.

After Kapril Ağa’s death, half of the property passed to his wife Horopsima and the remaining shares to their children Leon, Vasilik?, and Minavar. Once the debt to the Emniyet Sandığı was fully repaid, ownership rights reverted to the family. Subsequently, the three children sold their respective shares for a total of 10,000 kuruş to their mother, resulting in full ownership being consolidated in Horopsima’s name.

This document is a valuable historical record illustrating Ottoman-era vakıf property practices, credit mechanisms, and the social and economic life of the Armenian community in Istanbul at the end of the 19th century.

Key Features:

• Document Type: Ottoman title deed (tapu)

• Date: 3 June 1315 / 15 June 1899

• Location: Küçükçekmece, Bakırköy, Istanbul

• Property Type: Single residential house (bir bab hane), mukata‘a property of the Bayezid-i Veli Vakfı

• Land Area: 108 zira

• Boundaries:
– Right (Yemini): Neighboring house (name partially illegible)
– Left (Yesari): Bilal Efendi Street (zokağı)
– Rear: Kalost Ağa’s house
– Front: Public road (tarik-i amm)

• Original Owners: Modelci Kapril Ağa and his wife Horopsima (daughter of Kirkor)

• Legal Transaction: Vafāen ferāğ (property pledged as collateral to Istanbul Emniyet Sandığı)

• Inheritance: Half share to Horopsima; remaining shares to Leon, Vasilik?, and Minavar

• Final Ownership Transfer: Children sold their shares for 10,000 kuruş to their mother

• Final Owner: Horopsima, daughter of Kirkor

• Historical Significance: Demonstrates vakıf property use, Ottoman credit institutions, and Armenian presence in late 19th-century Istanbul