Ottoman 1920 Land Deed Plot in Ankara Title Armenian Citizens Armenia

Ottoman Land Title Deed from Ankara – Hisar-ı Fukara Quarter, Armenian Ownership (1920)

Description:

This original Ottoman title deed is dated 14 February 1336 (14 February 1920) and records the ownership of a building plot located in Hisar-ı Fukara Quarter, Ankara. The location is further noted as a site that is most likely read as Köprü Street, although the exact reading remains uncertain due to the difficulty of deciphering Ottoman rika handwriting.

The property is classified as sarf-ı mülk, indicating full private ownership under Ottoman law. Its recorded boundaries are the plot of Aziz Nazım Efendi on the right, the plot of Karamanoğlu Efendi on the left, the owner's own property at the rear, and a public road at the front. The total area is recorded as 347 arşun-u atik and 199 arşun-u cedid, while the assessed value is listed as 4,000 kuruş.

The original owner is identified as Aslangülyan Cozi Efendi, an Ottoman Armenian citizen. According to the deed, Cozi Efendi transferred the property as a gift (hibe) to his wife, Madam Surpik, whose father is recorded as Holasyan Agop. This document therefore preserves not only a property transaction but also valuable genealogical information relating to a prominent Armenian family of Ankara.

The Aslangülyan family was among the respected Armenian families of Ankara and was closely associated with the production and trade of sof (Angora mohair cloth), one of the city's most celebrated exports during the Ottoman period. By participating in the processing, dyeing, and commercial distribution of Angora goat mohair to European markets, the family occupied an important place within Ankara's Armenian mercantile community.

Hisar-ı Fukara was one of Ankara's principal Armenian neighborhoods during the late Ottoman period. Historical records indicate that it was among the districts almost entirely destroyed during the Great Ankara Fire of 1916. As this title deed was issued only a few years after the disaster and records the property simply as a building plot, it is possible that a house formerly stood on the site and that only the land remained following the fire. While this cannot be confirmed solely from the deed itself, the timing makes it a plausible historical context.

Bearing its original official seal together with three revenue stamps, this title deed is an outstanding historical document illustrating Armenian property ownership, family inheritance and gifting practices, and the social and commercial history of Ottoman Ankara during its final years.

Key Features:

• Type: Ottoman land title deed

• Date: 14 February 1336 (14 February 1920)

• Language: Ottoman Turkish

• Location: Hisar-ı Fukara Quarter, Ankara (location noted as likely Köprü Street; reading uncertain due to Ottoman rika handwriting)

• Property Type: Building plot (arsa)

• Legal Status (Nevi): Sarf-ı mülk (full private ownership)

• Property Size (Mikdar): 347 arşun-u atik; 199 arşun-u cedid

• Boundaries (Hudud): Plot of Aziz Nazım Efendi; plot of Karamanoğlu Efendi; owner's own property; public road

• Original Owner: Aslangülyan Cozi Efendi (Ottoman Armenian citizen)

• Transfer Type: Gift (hibe) from husband to wife

• New Owner: Madam Surpik, daughter of Holasyan Agop

• Assessed Value (Kıymet): 4,000 kuruş

• Community Context: Documents the Armenian community of Hisar-ı Fukara and the prominent Aslangülyan family of Ankara's mohair trade

• Historical Significance: Provides valuable evidence of Armenian property ownership, family transfers, and urban history in late Ottoman Ankara; issued shortly after the Great Ankara Fire of 1916

• Physical Features: Original official seal and three revenue stamps

• Collectible Significance: An exceptional document connecting Ottoman land administration, Armenian heritage, and the commercial history of Ankara