Ottoman 1909 Land Deed Field in İzmir Bayındır Title Muslim Family Greek
Ottoman Field Title Deed from Bayındır, İzmir – Hacı İbrahim Quarter, Gulyabani Area (1909)
Description:
This original Ottoman title deed, dated 27 Kanunievvel 1324 (9 January 1909), records the transfer of an agricultural field located in Hacı İbrahim Mahallesi, Gulyabani mevkii, in the district of Bayındır, İzmir. Written in Ottoman Turkish and bearing official seals and revenue stamps, the document reflects the structured land administration system of the late Ottoman countryside.
The property is registered as a tarla (field) measuring 7 dönüm, with its boundaries carefully defined according to neighboring landholders. To the east it borders the heirs of Kiryanos, to the west Kara Yuvan oğlu Kara Limbo, to the north Karaca Ali’s fields, and to the south the field of Çinici oğlu. The presence of non-Muslim (Rum/Greek) landowners such as Kiryanos and Kara Limbo reflects the multi-ethnic rural population of the Bayındır region during the late Ottoman period, offering valuable insight into local demographic structure and landholding diversity.
The original owner is recorded as Hüseyin bin Mehmed, son of Beyoğlanlı Mehmed. The deed explains that the transfer occurred following his death in 309 (Rumi year reference), and subsequently after the death of his son Mehmed in 320, resulting in inheritance-based succession (intikalen). This layered inheritance structure highlights how land ownership was transferred through generations within Ottoman rural families, often involving multiple heirs and extended family networks.
The final registered owners include Fatma binti Hüseyin, described as the wife of a peasant household, along with her minor sons Hüseyin and Mehmed, as well as two daughters and additional family members connected through marriage. This collective registration demonstrates how Ottoman rural property could be held and recorded under extended family structures rather than a single individual owner.
The assessed value of the field is recorded as 2750, indicating its official valuation within the Ottoman tax and land registry system. The document also includes detailed revenue stamps and seals, confirming its legal authenticity.
Beyond its administrative function, this deed is particularly valuable for its social content, documenting inheritance, rural family structures, and the presence of a multi-ethnic agricultural landscape in early 20th-century Western Anatolia.
Key Features:
• Type: Ottoman agricultural title deed (field deed)
• Date: 27 Kanunievvel 1324 (9 January 1909)
• Location: Bayındır, İzmir – Hacı İbrahim Mahallesi, Gulyabani area
• Property Type: Agricultural field (tarla)
• Property Size: 7 dönüm
• Boundaries: Kiryanos heirs (east), Kara Yuvan oğlu Kara Limbo (west), Karaca Ali (north), Çınici oğlu field (south)
• Original Owner: Hüseyin bin Mehmed (son of Beyoğlanlı Mehmed)
• Transfer Reason: Inheritance-based transfer following deaths of original owner and heir
• New Owners: Fatma binti Hüseyin and her children and extended family members
• Assessed Value: 2750
• Historical Significance: Reflects inheritance law, rural family structure, and multi-ethnic land ownership in late Ottoman Anatolia
• Physical Features: Official seals and revenue stamps present
• Collectible Significance: Strong example of Ottoman rural social and legal history