Ottoman 1905 Land Deed Field in İzmir Bayındır Title Muslim Woman
Ottoman Field Title Deed from Bayındır, İzmir – Hacı İbrahim Quarter, Arap Başı Area (1905)
Description:
This original Ottoman title deed, dated 13 Nisan 1321 (26 April 1905), records the transfer of an agricultural field located in Hacı İbrahim Mahallesi, Arap Başı mevkii, in the district of Bayındır, İzmir. Written in Ottoman Turkish and bearing revenue stamps and official seals, the document is a finely preserved example of late Ottoman provincial land administration.
The deed concerns one-half share of a cultivated field, recorded under the property type (cinsi) as half of a tarla. The parcel is carefully defined through traditional Ottoman boundary descriptions, bordered by the fields of Ali Bey to the east, Osman to the west, Arpacı Mustafa to the north, and Sucu Kadıoğlu Mustafa to the south. Such detailed neighboring references reflect the cadastral conventions of Ottoman rural documentation and offer a vivid snapshot of village-level landholding networks.
The size of the property is given as 5 dönüm and 2 evlek, preserving traditional Ottoman measurements used in agricultural registration. Particularly interesting is the economic detail recorded in the deed: the assessed value (kıymet) is listed as 2000, while the transfer price (bedel) is 1786, showing the field was sold below its stated valuation. Such discrepancies can offer collectors and researchers valuable insight into local market conditions, negotiated sales, or possible family-linked transactions.
The previous owner is recorded as Sığırtmaç Mustafa oğlu Ali, identified as a subject of the Ottoman state, and the transfer is explicitly noted as resulting from his direct and definitive sale (katiyyen ferağ). The new owner is recorded as Fatma binti Mustafa, wife of Aksekili Halil of Cami Mahallesi. The registration of a woman as legal property holder makes this document especially notable, offering tangible evidence of female property ownership within the Ottoman legal system in the early 20th century.
Beyond its legal function, this deed carries strong collectible appeal through its layered social and economic content: rural landholding, women’s ownership rights, agricultural valuation, and provincial Ottoman bureaucracy all intersect within a single document. With its stamps, seals, and clearly recorded transfer details, it is both a legal artifact and a compelling piece of Ottoman social history.
Key Features:
• Type: Ottoman agricultural title deed (field deed)
• Date: 13 Nisan 1321 (26 April 1905)
• Location: Bayındır, İzmir – Hacı İbrahim Mahallesi, Arap Başı area
• Property Type: Half share of an agricultural field
• Property Size: 5 dönüm 2 evlek
• Boundaries: Ali Bey (east), Osman (west), Arpacı Mustafa (north), Sucu Kadıoğlu Mustafa (south)
• Previous Owner: Sığırtmaç Mustafa oğlu Ali
• Transfer Reason: Direct and definitive sale (katiyyen ferağ)
• New Owner: Fatma binti Mustafa, wife of Aksekili Halil
• Assessed Value: 2000
• Sale Price: 1786 (sold below assessed value)
• Historical Significance: Documents rural land transfer and female property ownership in the late Ottoman period
• Physical Features: Revenue stamps and official seals present
• Collectible Significance: Strong example of Ottoman agricultural, legal, and social history documentation