Ottoman 1904 Land Deed Vineyard in Edremit Balıkesir Title Muslim Citizens Watermark Andrea Galvani Pordenone 2
Ottoman Land Title Deed from Karesi (Balıkesir) Vineyard Title Deed from Edremit – Hekimzade Quarter, Akpınar Area (1904)
Description:
This Ottoman title deed is dated 9 Teşrinievvel 1320 (22 October 1904) and relates to a vineyard together with its vines (eşcâr) located in the Akpınar area of Hekimzade Mahallesi, Edremit Kazası, within the Karesi Sanjak (present-day Balıkesir Province). The document records the legal transfer of ownership and reflects the detailed manner in which vineyards and their cultivated vines were documented in the Ottoman land registration system.
The property's boundaries are recorded as follows: to the east, the oak grove of Beyoğlu Osman; to the west, a public road (tarik); to the north, the vineyard of Keçeci İsmail; and to the south, the vineyards of Hacı Şükrü. Such detailed boundary descriptions were a defining feature of Ottoman cadastral records and provide valuable insight into the agricultural landscape of Edremit at the beginning of the twentieth century.
The previous owner is recorded as Cerrah Mustafa Efendi, an Ottoman citizen. The title "Cerrah" indicates that he was a surgeon or physician. Considering that the property was located in Hekimzade ("son of the physician") Quarter, it is possible that the neighborhood derived its name from the same family or another prominent family of physicians associated with the area, although this cannot be established with certainty from the deed alone.
According to the deed, one-quarter of the vineyard together with its vines had passed to Cerrah Mustafa Efendi by inheritance from his wife, Ayşe Hanım, daughter of Mehmed Ağa. Based upon an officially certified document issued by the local neighborhood authorities, his legal right to the inherited share was confirmed, after which the property was definitively transferred through sale. The new owner is recorded as Nuriye Hanım, daughter of Helvacızade Mehmed Efendi, an Ottoman citizen. The assessed value of the property is stated as 1,000 kuruş.
The deed bears its original revenue stamps and official seals and is printed on high-quality paper bearing the watermark of Andrea Galvani Pordenone, one of Italy's most renowned historical paper manufacturers. The Galvani family had produced fine paper in Pordenone since the eighteenth century, while Andrea Galvani became internationally recognized for manufacturing premium-quality watermarked papers used throughout Europe and the Ottoman Empire. The presence of this watermark considerably enhances the document's historical and collectible value.
Beyond its legal significance, this title deed offers valuable evidence of inheritance law, women's property rights, agricultural land ownership, and provincial administration during the late Ottoman period. It also illustrates the international use of European-made security paper within the Ottoman bureaucracy.
Key Features:
• Type: Ottoman vineyard title deed
• Date: 9 Teşrinievvel 1320 (22 October 1904)
• Location: Akpınar Area, Hekimzade Quarter, Edremit, Karesi (Balıkesir)
• Property Type: Vineyard together with its vines
• Boundaries (Hudud): East: Beyoğlu Osman's oak grove; West: public road; North: Keçeci İsmail's vineyard; South: Hacı Şükrü's vineyards
• Previous Owner: Cerrah Mustafa Efendi (Ottoman citizen)
• Transfer Basis: One-quarter inherited from his wife Ayşe Hanım, daughter of Mehmed Ağa, and subsequently transferred through legal sale
• New Owner: Nuriye Hanım, daughter of Helvacızade Mehmed Efendi
• Assessed Value (Kıymet): 1,000 kuruş
• Historical Context: Documents inheritance, vineyard ownership, and agricultural land registration in the late Ottoman Empire
• Physical Features: Original revenue stamps, official seals, and Andrea Galvani Pordenone watermark
• Paper Manufacturer: Andrea Galvani Pordenone, one of Italy's most distinguished historical paper manufacturers
• Collectible Significance: Highly desirable for collectors of Ottoman title deeds, agricultural history, watermarked official documents, and Ottoman provincial legal records