Ottoman 1904 Land Deed Field in İstanbul Küçükçekmece Uskumru Muslim Citizens Empire

Ottoman Land Deed for a Field in Sofidere, Uskumru Village – Küçükçekmece, Istanbul, 1320 (c. 1904)

Description:

This original Ottoman Turkish land deed documents an agricultural field in Sofidere, within Uskumru Village, Su Yolu Nahiye, Küçükçekmece Kazası, Istanbul. Dated 22 March 1320, corresponding to 4 April 1904, the document records a property associated with the Sultan Bayezid Foundation (Sultan Bayezid Vakfı). It provides a detailed account of landholding, inheritance, and the transfer of property rights in the late Ottoman period.

The deed specifies the boundaries of the field according to neighbouring properties and natural features: Musa’s heirs’ field to the east, a stream to the west, and Hamid Ağa’s fields to both the north and south. These descriptions illustrate how rural properties were identified in Ottoman legal records. The association with a sultanic foundation also reflects the role of vakıf land in the Ottoman land-tenure system.

According to the recorded inheritance history, the rights to the property were held by the heirs of Musa, Mehmed, Ibrahim, Halil, and Yahya alongside Abdi bin Ahmed. Following Abdi bin Ahmed’s death, his half-share passed to his heirs, Şakir, Emine, Ayşe, and Hacer Hanım. As Şakir, Ayşe, and Emine did not assert a claim, Hacer Hanım voluntarily transferred her share to Hamid Ağa, son of Halim, for 400 kuruş. This transaction offers a detailed example of inheritance arrangements and the transfer of land rights under Ottoman legal practice.

Bearing official seals and stamps, this document is an appealing historical record for collectors interested in Ottoman land deeds, property law, inheritance practices, vakıf properties, and the history of Istanbul and its surrounding villages. Its named individuals, detailed boundary descriptions, and recorded transfer provide a tangible connection to the administration of rural property in the early twentieth-century Ottoman Empire.

Key Features:

• Document Type: Ottoman land deed recording the transfer of property rights

• Property: Agricultural field in Sofidere, Uskumru Village

• Location: Su Yolu Nahiye, Küçükçekmece Kazası, Istanbul, Ottoman Empire

• Date: 22 March 1320, corresponding to 4 April 1904

• Associated Foundation: Sultan Bayezid Foundation (Sultan Bayezid Vakfı)

• Boundary Details: Musa’s heirs’ field to the east, a stream to the west, and Hamid Ağa’s fields to the north and south

• Original Rights Holders: Musa’s heirs - Mehmed, Ibrahim, Halil, and Yahya and Abdi bin Ahmed

• Inheritance Details: Abdi bin Ahmed’s half-share passed to Şakir, Emine, Ayşe, and Hacer Hanım

• Transfer Details: Hacer Hanım transferred her share to Hamid Ağa, son of Halim, for 400 kuruş

• Additional Features: Official seals and stamps

• Historical Context: Ottoman land tenure, inheritance, vakıf properties, and rural property transactions near Istanbul

• Region: Istanbul, Marmara Region, Ottoman Empire