Ottoman 1907 Telegraph by Dr. Celal Muhtar Özden to Karabet Hancıyan Armenia Armenian

Ottoman Telegraph by Dr. Celal Muhtar Özden to Karabet Hancıyan – 1907

Description:
This is an original Ottoman telegraph, issued under the header of the Posta ve Telgraf Nezareti (Ministry of Post and Telegraph) and dated 7 Mayıs 1323 (20 May 1907).

The sender is Dr. Celal Muhtar Özden, one of the most prominent Ottoman and early Republican dermatologists. A graduate of Galatasaray Sultanisi and the Imperial Military Medical School (Mekteb-i Tıbbiye-i Askeriye), he completed his specialization in dermatology at the St. Louis Hospital in Paris and received additional training at the Pasteur Institute. In 1892, he published a pioneering article in France on the treatment of hand and foot fungal infections, introducing a therapeutic method that entered the world medical literature. Thanks to his discovery, this infection particularly widespread among German and French soldiers during World War I could be effectively treated.

The telegraph was sent to Karabet Hancıyan Efendi, concerning the rental and collection of payments for the properties of Fatma Mehdiye Hanım, wife of Eşref Bey.

A particularly noteworthy aspect of this document is its cross-communal context: the sender was a prominent Muslim Ottoman physician, while the recipient, Karabet, bears a distinctly Armenian name, pointing to his Armenian heritage. Thus, the document is not only a piece of Ottoman medical and communication history but also a reflection of Muslim–Armenian social and economic relations in the late Ottoman Empire.

Key Features:

• Date: 7 Mayıs 1323 (20 May 1907)

• Issuer: Posta ve Telgraf Nezareti (Ministry of Post and Telegraph)

• Sender: Dr. Celal Muhtar Özden – pioneering Ottoman dermatologist, international medical figure

• Recipient: Karabet Hancıyan Efendi (Armenian Ottoman citizen)

• Content: Concerning property rentals and collection of rent for Fatma Mehdiye Hanım’s estates

• Cultural Note: Highlights the interaction between Ottoman Muslims and Armenians in legal and economic affairs

• Historical Value: A rare document combining Ottoman medical history, communication practices, and Armenian–Muslim social relations