Ottoman Identity Document 1927 Kayseri Greek Rum Citizen Greece with photo

Early Turkish Republic Identity Card - Destina Mavrido (1927)

Description:
An exceptionally rare early Turkish Republic identity card (Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Hüviyet Cüzdanı) issued to a Greek Orthodox (Rum) citizen, Destina Mavrido, residing in Istanbul. Though belonging to the Republic era, this document is written entirely in Ottoman Turkish script, marking the transitional period before the 1928 Alphabet Reform, when Turkey replaced the Arabic-based Ottoman script with the Latin alphabet.

Issued on 24 Teşrin-i Evvel 1927 (24 October 1927) just one year before the reform this document stands as one of the first identity cards issued by the Republic of Turkey, yet still bearing the visual and linguistic features of the Ottoman bureaucracy.

The document is photographed, stamped, and fiscally sealed, symbolizing the continuity between Ottoman administrative traditions and the new Republic’s evolving identity system.

This identity card is a remarkable bridge between two eras  the Ottoman administrative heritage and the early Republican modernization process. Despite belonging to the new nation-state, the use of Ottoman script shows the gradual implementation of reforms and the persistence of traditional record-keeping practices until the Harf Devrimi (Alphabet Reform) of 1928.

Moreover, as it was issued to a Greek Orthodox (Rum) citizen, the document provides valuable insight into the status of non-Muslim minorities in early Republican Turkey. It demonstrates that the Rum population  though subject to population exchanges and sociopolitical changes continued to live as Turkish citizens, maintaining their distinct religious and cultural identity within the Republic.

Key Features:

• Document Type: Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Hüviyet Cüzdanı (Republic of Turkey Identity Card)

• Language: Ottoman Turkish (Arabic script)

• Date: 1927 (pre-Alphabet Reform)

• Holder: Destina Mavrido (Greek Orthodox / Rum)

• Father’s Name: Avraham

• Mother’s Name: Asta

• Birthplace and Year: Kayseri, 1282 (1866)

• Residence: Istanbul – Bakırköy, Ayastefanos (Yeşilköy) Neighborhood, Halkalı Street, House No. 20

• Religion/Denomination: Rum (Greek Orthodox)

• Date of Issue: 24 Teşrin-i Evvel 1927 (24 October 1927)

• Features: Photographed, with Ottoman-era stamps and official seals

• Condition: Very good – visible stamps, photograph, and official seals intact

• Significance:

  • One of the earliest identity cards of the Turkish Republic, predating the Latin alphabet reform.

  • Documentary evidence of Greek Orthodox presence and citizenship within the early Republic.

  • A rare example of Republic-era state identity in Ottoman script, highlighting the linguistic and bureaucratic transition of 1920s Turkey.