Ottoman 1902 Land Deed Vineyard in Adana Title Armenian Citizens Armenia

Ottoman Land Title Deed – Armenian-Owned Vineyard, Adana (1902)

Description:

This Ottoman Turkish land title deed concerns a vineyard (bağ) located in Adana, in the locality recorded in the deed as Canib-i Şehir, Kireç Ocağı. The property boundaries are recorded as Arab to the east, Bedros to the west, Arslanoğlu’s vineyard to the north, and a public road to the south. The detailed boundary descriptions provide a valuable record of the local landscape and neighbouring landholders in Adana at the beginning of the twentieth century.

The original owner is recorded as Movses Ağa, son of Karabet, identified in the deed as a subject of the Ottoman state (tebai Devlet-i Aliyye'den). The reason for the transfer is stated as his sale of the property. The new owner is recorded as Ağsa, daughter of Kiragos, likewise identified as a subject of the Ottoman state. The deed therefore documents a transfer of agricultural property between two Ottoman Armenian individuals.

The property is recorded as a vineyard, with its value stated as 1,000 kuruş. The combination of the original owner's and new owner's names, together with the explicit identification of both as Ottoman subjects, makes this deed particularly interesting for the study of Armenian property ownership and economic life in Adana during the late Ottoman period.

Dated March 1318 (March 1902), this original Ottoman land deed provides a detailed glimpse into property ownership, agricultural landholding and the legal transfer of real estate in Adana. The Armenian names appearing both as seller and purchaser, together with the Armenian-associated names preserved in the boundary descriptions, make the document a valuable primary source for the study of the Armenian history of Adana and the region's multi-community social and economic structure.

Key Features:

• Type: Ottoman land title deed (Tapu)

• Date: March 1318 (March 1902)

• Location: Canib-i Şehir, Kireç Ocağı, Adana

• Property Type: Vineyard (Bağ)

• Eastern Boundary: Arab

• Western Boundary: Bedros

• Northern Boundary: Arslanoğlu’s vineyard

• Southern Boundary: Public road (Tarik-i Amm)

• Original Owner: Movses Ağa, son of Karabet

• Original Owner's Status: Ottoman subject (Tebai Devlet-i Aliyye'den)

• Transfer Reason: Sale by the named original owner

• New Owner: Ağsa, daughter of Kiragos

• New Owner's Status: Ottoman subject (Tebai Devlet-i Aliyye'den)

• Property Value: 1,000 kuruş

• Documentation: Ottoman seal present

• Historical Significance: Documents the transfer of a vineyard between two Ottoman Armenian individuals and provides evidence of Armenian property ownership in Adana during the late Ottoman period

• Collectible Significance: Particularly interesting for collectors and researchers of Ottoman land deeds, Armenian history, Adana history, Ottoman property ownership and late Ottoman social and economic history.