{"product_id":"ottoman-1918-rental-contract-of-shop-i̇stanbul-grand-bazaar-armenian-citizens-armenia-surp-karabet-church","title":"Ottoman 1918 Rental Contract of Shop İstanbul Grand Bazaar Armenian Citizens Armenia Surp Karabet Church","description":"\u003cp data-start=\"0\" data-end=\"96\"\u003eOttoman Shop Rental Contract from the Grand Bazaar (Kapalıçarşı) – Nuruosmaniye, Istanbul (1918) Armenian Owner\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(170, 26, 23);\"\u003eDescription:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"112\" data-end=\"730\" class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\"\u003eThis Ottoman Turkish rental contract is dated 15 Kanun-ı Evvel 1334 (15 December 1918) and concerns the lease of Shop No. 64 located on Çârşû-yı Kebîr Street in the Nûruosmâniye quarter of Istanbul. The term Çârşû-yı Kebîr refers to the famous Kapalıçarşı (Grand Bazaar), one of the oldest and largest covered marketplaces in the world. Originally established under Sultan Mehmed II shortly after the conquest of Constantinople, the Grand Bazaar has remained an active commercial center since the fifteenth century and represents one of the most important symbols of Ottoman urban and commercial life.\u003cspan aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchor\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"732\" data-end=\"1393\"\u003eThe property owner is identified as Sepon Efendi Toryan, an Ottoman Armenian citizen residing in Yenimahalle, Üsküdar, and serving among the administrative board members (heyet-i idâre azâları) of the historic Surp Karabet Armenian Church. Surp Karabet Church, one of Üsküdar’s longstanding Armenian Apostolic churches, is known to have existed prior to 1593. After being completely destroyed in the great Yenimahalle fire of 1887, it was rebuilt in masonry form in 1888 by imperial decree of Sultan Abdülhamid II. The document therefore also preserves valuable information concerning the Armenian institutional and religious community of late Ottoman Istanbul.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1395\" data-end=\"1924\"\u003eAccording to the contract, Sepon Efendi rented the shop to Lokantacı Mustafa Nâfi’ Efendi for a period of two years, with a monthly rent fixed at 160 kuruş. The agreement provides a valuable glimpse into everyday commercial relations between Muslim and Armenian Ottoman citizens during the immediate post-First World War period. Such documents illustrate the interconnected commercial life of Istanbul, where members of different religious communities participated together in trade, property rental, and urban economic activity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1926\" data-end=\"2292\"\u003eThe document bears original revenue stamps and signatures, while the presence of Armenian script alongside Ottoman Turkish writing adds further historical and visual interest. Beyond its legal function, the contract serves as an important social document reflecting the multicultural structure of Istanbul’s commercial world in the final years of the Ottoman Empire.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2294\" data-end=\"2508\"\u003eFor collectors and researchers, this is an especially attractive piece connecting Ottoman commercial history, the Grand Bazaar, Armenian community life, and the urban daily life of early twentieth-century Istanbul.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(170, 26, 23);\"\u003eKey Features:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2525\" data-end=\"2567\" class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\"\u003e• Type: Ottoman commercial rental contract\u003cspan aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchor\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2569\" data-end=\"2617\"\u003e• Date: 15 Kanun-ı Evvel 1334 (15 December 1918)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2619\" data-end=\"2692\"\u003e• Location: Nûruosmâniye Quarter, Çârşû-yı Kebîr (Grand Bazaar), Istanbul\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2694\" data-end=\"2717\"\u003e• Property: Shop No. 64\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2719\" data-end=\"2745\"\u003e• Rental Period: Two years\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2747\" data-end=\"2772\"\u003e• Monthly Rent: 160 kuruş\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2774\" data-end=\"2837\"\u003e• Property Owner: Sepon Efendi Toryan, Ottoman Armenian citizen\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2839\" data-end=\"2936\"\u003e• Institutional Affiliation: Administrative board member of Surp Karabet Armenian Church, Üsküdar\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2938\" data-end=\"2978\"\u003e• Tenant: Lokantacı Mustafa Nâfi’ Efendi\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2980\" data-end=\"3128\"\u003e• Historical Context: Documents commercial relations between Armenian and Muslim Ottoman citizens in the Grand Bazaar during the late Ottoman period\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"3130\" data-end=\"3219\"\u003e• Community Significance: Related to the historic Surp Karabet Armenian Church of Üsküdar\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"3221\" data-end=\"3310\"\u003e• Physical Features: Original revenue stamps, signatures, and Armenian script annotations\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"3312\" data-end=\"3488\" data-is-last-node=\"\" data-is-only-node=\"\"\u003e• Collectible Significance: Valuable for collectors of Ottoman commercial documents, Istanbul history, Grand Bazaar material, Armenian heritage, and multicultural urban history\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Turkrex Collectables","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49619115966602,"sku":null,"price":150.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0716\/3687\/7450\/files\/1_f249a58b-3bc0-41b0-8fda-e529fa41309e.jpg?v=1782823831","url":"https:\/\/turkrexcollectables.com\/products\/ottoman-1918-rental-contract-of-shop-i%cc%87stanbul-grand-bazaar-armenian-citizens-armenia-surp-karabet-church","provider":"Turkrex Collectables","version":"1.0","type":"link"}