Ottoman 1920 Receipt of the Ministry of Evkaf Greek Citizens Greece Muslim Rum İstanbul Üsküdar

Ottoman Receipt of the Ministry of Evkaf (Evkaf-ı Hümayun Nezareti) – Üsküdar, Istanbul (1920)

Description:

This Ottoman Turkish receipt, titled "Evkaf-ı Hümayun Nezareti Veznesine Mahsus Makbuz Senedi" ("Receipt for the Treasury of the Ministry of Evkaf"), is dated 4 Kanun-ı Evvel 1336 (4 December 1920). The document records the payment of an official fee to the treasury of the Ministry of Imperial Pious Foundations, one of the principal institutions responsible for administering vakıf (pious endowment) properties throughout the Ottoman Empire.

According to the receipt, a payment of 52 kuruş and 25 para was deposited by Hafız Mehmed Efendi on behalf of Anastas veled-i Asnadri in connection with the dellaliye (brokerage or auction commission fee) for a plot of land located in Arakiyeci Hacı Cafer Mahallesi, Üsküdar. The document records the official receipt of this payment as part of the administrative procedures governing vakıf property transactions.

Although the receipt itself records only the payment of the brokerage fee, it most likely relates to the purchase of a vakıf-owned property through a public auction or official sale process administered by the Evkaf-ı Hümayun. Such brokerage payments formed part of the legal procedures required before ownership registration and title transfer could be completed. While this interpretation is consistent with Ottoman administrative practice, the document itself does not explicitly describe the underlying sale.

The receipt also provides an interesting example of the commercial and legal interaction between Muslim and Greek Orthodox (Rum) Ottoman citizens. The payment was made by Hafız Mehmed Efendi on behalf of Anastas veled-i Asnadri, illustrating the everyday cooperation that existed between members of different religious communities within the Ottoman legal and administrative system. Documents of this nature offer valuable evidence of the multicultural character of Istanbul during the final years of the Ottoman Empire.

Bearing its original revenue stamp, official seals, and signatures, this receipt is an excellent example of late Ottoman fiscal administration and vakıf bureaucracy. Beyond its financial purpose, it provides a valuable glimpse into property transactions, official fees, and the functioning of the Evkaf administration in early twentieth-century Istanbul.

For collectors and researchers, this is an attractive historical document connecting Ottoman vakıf administration, Istanbul property history, and the interaction between Muslim and Greek Orthodox communities within the Ottoman legal framework.

Key Features:

• Type: Ottoman official treasury receipt

• Title: Evkaf-ı Hümayun Nezareti Veznesine Mahsus Makbuz Senedi

• Date: 4 Kanun-ı Evvel 1336 (4 December 1920)

• Language: Ottoman Turkish

• Institution: Ministry of Imperial Pious Foundations (Evkaf-ı Hümayun Nezareti)

• Location: Arakiyeci Hacı Cafer Mahallesi, Üsküdar, Istanbul

• Payment Purpose: Dellaliye (brokerage/auction commission fee)

• Amount Paid: 52 kuruş 25 para

• Payment Made By: Hafız Mehmed Efendi

• Beneficiary: Anastas veled-i Asnadri

• Historical Context: Documents official fees associated with vakıf property administration and illustrates legal and commercial interaction between Muslim and Greek Orthodox (Rum) Ottoman citizens during the late Ottoman period

• Physical Features: Original revenue stamp, official seals, and signatures

• Collectible Significance: Valuable for collectors of Ottoman vakıf documents, Istanbul history, Ottoman fiscal administration, Greek (Rum) heritage, and legal ephemera