Ottoman Property Transfer Certificate 1898 Adana Armenian Citizen Armenia

Ottoman Property Transfer Certificate (Ferağ ve İntikal İlmuhaber) – Adana (1898)

Description:

This Ottoman-era document is a ferağ ve intikal ilmuhaber, a compulsory preliminary certificate issued prior to the registration of a formal title deed. Such documents recorded the sale or transfer of real estate before the transaction was finalized in the land registry. Written in Ottoman Turkish, this example originates from Adana and documents the sale of two separate properties: a residential house valued at 1,500 kuruş and an agricultural field also valued at 1,500 kuruş. The document is dated 12 Teşrin-i Evvel 1314 (24 October 1898), and the stated prices reflect assets of considerable value for the late 19th-century provincial real estate market.

Beyond its legal purpose, the document is particularly significant for its social and collectible value. The seller is recorded as Anuk, wife of Asadur, an Armenian citizen, while the buyer is Abdullah, a Muslim. This clearly documented transaction between members of different religious communities offers direct evidence of everyday economic interaction and coexistence between Armenians and Muslims in Ottoman Adana. As an officially stamped legal record, the document stands out as a strong example of inter-communal property relations and enhances its appeal to collectors interested in Ottoman social history, Armenian history, and regional studies of Adana.

Key Features:

• Document Type: Ferağ ve intikal ilmuhaber (pre-title property transfer certificate)

• Language: Ottoman Turkish

• Date: 12 Teşrin-i Evvel 1314 (24 October 1898)

• Location: Adana (exact neighborhood unclear due to handwriting)

• Property Types: One residential house and one agricultural field

• Declared Value: 1,500 kuruş for the house; 1,500 kuruş for the field

• Seller: Anuk, wife of Asadur (Armenian citizen)

• Buyer: Abdullah (Muslim)

• Historical Significance: Documents inter-communal property transfer between Armenian and Muslim citizens in late Ottoman Adana

• Physical Characteristics: Official stamp present