Ottoman Property Tax Receipt 1919 Ankara Tülice Provincial Administration Clerk

Direct Tax Receipt (Doğrudan Doğruya Tahsil Olunan Vergilere Mahsus Tezkire) – Ankara (1919)

Description:

This Ottoman Turkish document, titled "Doğrudan Doğruya Tahsil Olunan Vergilere Mahsus Tezkire" ("Receipt for Directly Collected Taxes"), was issued for the fiscal year 1335 (approximately 1919 AD). It records the payment of direct taxes by Seyid Efendi, an İdare-i Vilayet Kâtibi (Provincial Administration Clerk), residing in Tülice Mahallesi, Ankara.

The taxpayer is identified as Rıfatlü Seyid Efendi, bearing the honorific "Rıfatlü," a title used for respected or high-ranking officials within the Ottoman civil administration. As an İdare-i Vilayet Kâtibi, he was responsible for preparing and managing the official correspondence and administrative records of the provincial government. Serving among the principal civil servants within the governor's office, officials of this rank played an essential role in the day-to-day administration of the Ottoman provincial bureaucracy.

According to the receipt, Seyid Efendi paid a total of 57 kuruş and 20 para in taxes assessed on müsakkafât and arsa (built properties and land). These taxes formed part of the direct taxation system of the late Ottoman Empire and were levied on urban buildings and real estate. Documents of this nature provide valuable evidence of Ottoman municipal finance and the taxation of immovable property during the empire's final years.

The receipt relates to Tülice Mahallesi, one of the historic neighborhoods of Ottoman Ankara. Today, this area lies within the boundaries of the Altındağ district, encompassing the historic lower town surrounding Ulus Square and Ankara Castle. During the late Ottoman period, the Ankara Governor's Office was also located within this neighborhood, making it the administrative center of the province. Consequently, the document not only records a tax payment but also reflects the functioning of the provincial administration in the political and administrative heart of Ottoman Ankara.

Bearing its original fiscal stamps, this receipt is an excellent example of late Ottoman tax administration and provincial bureaucracy. It combines historical significance with strong local interest, documenting both an important government official and the fiscal practices of Ankara during the final years of the Ottoman Empire.

For collectors and researchers, this is a valuable historical document illustrating Ottoman taxation, provincial administration, and the civic history of Ankara immediately before the establishment of the Republic of Turkey.

Key Features:

• Type: Ottoman direct tax receipt

• Title: Doğrudan Doğruya Tahsil Olunan Vergilere Mahsus Tezkire

• Fiscal Year: 1335 AH (approximately 1919 AD)

• Location: Tülice Mahallesi, Ankara (present-day Altındağ District)

• Taxpayer: Rıfatlü Seyid Efendi

• Occupation: İdare-i Vilayet Kâtibi (Provincial Administration Clerk)

• Taxes Paid: Müsakkafât (built properties) and land (arsa) taxes

• Amount Paid: 57 kuruş 20 para

• Historical Context: Documents the direct taxation of urban real estate and records the tax payment of a senior provincial civil servant in the administrative center of late Ottoman Ankara

• Physical Features: Original fiscal stamps

• Collectible Significance: Valuable for collectors of Ottoman fiscal documents, Ankara history, provincial administration, Ottoman bureaucracy, and late Ottoman administrative ephemera