Ottoman 1920 Court Summons Issued to Arif Bey Beyoğlu İstanbul Jewish Lawyer Law

Ottoman Court Summons Issued to Arif Bey – Beyoğlu Court of First Instance, 1920

Description:

This original Ottoman Turkish legal document is an official court summons issued under the heading “Adliye Nezaret-i Celîlesine Merbut Mahâkime Mahsus Varaka-i Da'vetiyedir,” meaning an invitation or summons form intended for courts attached to the Ottoman Ministry of Justice. Dated 3 August 1336 (3 August 1920), the document was issued by the Beyoğlu First Instance Civil Court and addressed to Arif Bey, requiring his appearance before the court.

The document identifies Yuşa Efendi as Arif Bey's legal representative. This detail is particularly interesting in the context of Istanbul's multicultural legal and professional life during the final years of the Ottoman Empire, when individuals from different religious communities participated in commercial, administrative and legal affairs. The name Yuşa Efendi may be of particular interest to researchers studying Jewish professionals in Ottoman Istanbul, although the document itself does not explicitly state his religious affiliation.

As an official judicial form, the summons reflects the administrative language and court procedures of the late Ottoman legal system. Documents of this kind were used in everyday judicial proceedings to notify individuals of required appearances or legal examinations. Although they were produced for routine administrative purposes rather than preservation, surviving examples provide valuable evidence of the functioning of the courts and the bureaucratic practices of the period.

For collectors of Ottoman legal history, historical ephemera and Istanbul documentary material, this summons is an appealing primary source. Its connection to the Beyoğlu court system, the named parties and legal representative, and its official stamps and seal make it a tangible record of judicial administration during the final years of the Ottoman Empire.

Key Features:

• Title: Ottoman Court Summons Issued to Arif Bey

• Original Heading: Adliye Nezaret-i Celîlesine Merbut Mahâkime Mahsus Varaka-i Da'vetiyedir

• Document Type: Official Court Summons

• Issuing Authority: Beyoğlu First Instance Civil Court

• Recipient: Arif Bey

• Legal Representative: Yuşa Efendi

• Date: 3 August 1336 (3 August 1920)

• Historical Period: Final years of the Ottoman Empire

• Subject: Judicial summons and court administration

• Language: Ottoman Turkish

• Documentary Features: Official stamp and seal

• Historical Significance: Documents judicial procedures and the administrative practices of the late Ottoman legal system

• Collectible Significance: An original piece of Ottoman legal ephemera of interest to collectors of court documents, Istanbul history, Ottoman bureaucracy and legal history