Ottoman Lottery Ticket 1861 For the Construction of the Georgian Catholic Church of Notre Dame de Lourdes Georgia

Ottoman Lottery Ticket – For the Construction of the Georgian Catholic Church of Notre Dame de Lourdes, 1861

Description:
An extremely rare lottery ticket, dated 1861, issued under state permission (Devlet izniyle tertip olunan piyango bileti) for the reconstruction of the Georgian Catholic Church of Notre Dame de Lourdes in Bomonti–Feriköy, Şişli, Constantinople (Istanbul). The ticket is printed in Ottoman Turkish, Greek, and French, reflecting the cosmopolitan and multi-lingual character of 19th-century Istanbul.

The lottery was organized by Mr. G. Tubini of Galata, with a total of 10,800 tickets issued. The proceeds were dedicated to financing the construction project initiated by the Georgian Catholic clergy, led by Father Petre Kharischirashvili of Akhaltsikhe (Georgia). Having fled Russian religious pressures in the 1850s, Father Petre arrived in Constantinople in 1856 and began work on building the Church of Notre Dame de Lourdes in 1860.

This ticket is regarded as one of the earliest examples of Georgian-related paper money/notes, and perhaps the earliest surviving Georgian lottery note. Beyond its financial purpose, it symbolizes the diaspora networks of Georgian Catholics, their integration into Ottoman society, and their efforts to preserve religious identity through church-building activities.

Key Features:

• Type: Lottery Ticket (Piyango Bileti)

• Date: 1861

• Languages: Ottoman Turkish, Greek, French

• Organizer: G. Tubini (Galata)

• Purpose: Reconstruction of the Georgian Catholic Church of Notre Dame de Lourdes, Feriköy (Şişli, Istanbul)

• Issue Size: 10,800 tickets

• Historical Significance: Earliest known Georgian lottery note; rare testimony to the role of Georgian Catholic clergy in Ottoman Istanbul; reflects the empire’s multi-ethnic and multi-lingual fabric in the mid-19th century