Ottoman 1914 Land Deed House in Ertuğrul Bilecik Title Armenian Family Armenia 1
Ottoman House Title Deed from Bilecik – Hataboğlu Quarter, Ertuğrul Sanjak (1914)
Description:
This Ottoman Turkish title deed records a residential property located in Hataboğlu Mahallesi of Bilecik, within the Ertuğrul Sanjak. The document is dated 30 Nisan 1330 (Rumi), corresponding to 13 May 1914 (Gregorian), placing it at a historically significant moment just prior to the major transformations of the First World War era.
The property consists of three rooms on the upper floor, while the ground floor includes a shop and a store, together with a courtyard, forming an independent residential building complex. This combination of residential and commercial space reflects a common pattern in late Ottoman provincial towns, where domestic life and small-scale trade were often integrated within the same property.
The legal classification (nevi) states that the land belongs to the Ertuğrul Gazi Vakfı, illustrating the continued importance of vakıf-based land tenure. The boundaries (hudud) indicate a tightly built neighborhood fabric: one side bordered by the properties of his brothers’ sons, another side by Agop, and both the front and rear sides facing public roads, suggesting a well-situated and accessible urban property.
The deed was issued following an intra-family division of property. According to a registered deed dated December 1913 (No. 9), the heirs of Kum Kara oğlu Kirkor—his sons Agop and Jirar, together with his wife Mari—voluntarily divided their jointly held properties. Based on their declaration and mutual agreement, the entirety of this building was assigned as an independent holding to the share of the deed holders. This arrangement was formally confirmed through an official document dated 3 May 1914 issued by the local quarter authorities, as well as through records in the tax register (4th volume, page 50). Following this confirmation, the property was legally subdivided and the title record updated.
Ownership is recorded in four shares: one share belonging to Mari, wife of Kum Kara oğlu Kirkor, and three shares belonging to their son Jirar. Both are identified as Ottoman citizens, reflecting the Armenian presence in the region.
Beyond its legal content, this piece offers a compelling window into the Armenian presence in Bilecik on the eve of World War I. At the time, Bilecik hosted one of the largest Armenian populations within the Ertuğrul Sanjak, with neighborhoods such as Hataboğlu and adjacent non-Muslim quarters playing a central role in the local economy through sericulture, weaving, goldsmithing, and trade.
The broader historical context further enhances its significance. In 1914, the mayor of the Ertuğrul Sanjak was an Armenian Ottoman citizen, Kirkor Efendi, who was removed from office on 13 June 1914 on charges of corruption. Shortly thereafter, the Armenian population of the region declined rapidly due to the deportations (tehcir) that followed in the coming years. In this light, the document stands as a poignant and tangible record of a community and way of life on the threshold of irreversible change.
Together with the other two title deeds from the same family currently available, this document offers collectors a rare opportunity to reconstruct a broader picture of property ownership, inheritance, and daily life within a single Armenian household in late Ottoman Bilecik.
Key Features:
• Type: Ottoman house title deed (müfrez hane ebniyesi)
• Date: 30 Nisan 1330 (Rumi) / 13 May 1914
• Location: Ertuğrul Livası, Bilecik Kazası, Hataboğlu Mahallesi
• Language: Ottoman Turkish
• Property Type: Two-level residential and commercial building (upper floor rooms; ground floor shop and store; courtyard)
• Legal Status (Nevi): Land belonging to Ertuğrul Gazi Vakfı
• Boundaries (Hudud): Adjacent to relatives’ properties and Agop; front and rear facing public roads
• Property Size (Mikdar): 100 zira-i atik, 57 arşın, 64 parmak-ı cedid
• Ownership: 1 share – Mari (wife of Kum Kara oğlu Kirkor); 3 shares – Jirar (son)
• Transfer Reason: Intra-family division based on December 1913 deed (No. 9), confirmed by official records in May 1914
• Supporting Records: Official document dated 3 May 1914; tax register (Vol. 4, p. 50)
• Assessed Value (Kıymet): 5000
• Community Context: Armenian family property ownership in Bilecik, a key center of Armenian population and economic activity in the Ertuğrul Sanjak
• Historical Context: Immediately prior to World War I and the demographic transformations affecting the Armenian population
• Physical Features: Revenue stamps and official seals present
• Collectible Significance: Strong relevance for Armenian, Ottoman provincial, and urban property history collectors