Ottoman Real Estate Tax Document 1895 Samsun Rum Quarter Greek Citizen Yuvan 2

Ottoman Property Tax Certificate Issued to Yuvan Oğlu Hurezman – Samsun, Trabzon Vilayet, 1311 (c. 1895)

Description:

This original Ottoman Turkish document, titled “Emlak Vergisine Mahsus Tezkere” (Certificate for Property Tax), was issued to Yuvan Oğlu Hurezman in Rum Mahallesi, Samsun Kazası, within the Canik Livası of Trabzon Vilayeti. Dated 1311, approximately 1895, the certificate documents property-related taxation in the late Ottoman period and provides a tangible example of the fiscal administration operating in the Black Sea region.

The certificate itemizes property categories including land (arazi) and a property valuation record (tezkire-i esmani). The recorded total was 13 kuruş and 20 para, including a contribution to the fortification fund (İstihkâm İanesi). These details offer insight into the taxes and additional levies recorded for property holders under the Ottoman administrative system.

The document is particularly interesting for its connection to the Greek community of Samsun. The taxpayer’s name, the designation of the neighbourhood as Rum Mahallesi, and the Greek handwriting, signature, stamp, and revenue stamp provide evidence of the multilingual administrative environment of the period. A Greek signature appears to read “Ιωάννης” (Ioannis), although this reading remains tentative. While the document cannot establish the size of the local Greek population by itself, it records a named taxpayer associated with a neighbourhood identified as Rum and illustrates participation in the Ottoman property taxation system.

An appealing historical document for collectors of Ottoman ephemera, fiscal records, and Greek-Ottoman history, this certificate preserves specific information about a named individual, property taxation, and local administration in late nineteenth-century Samsun.

Key Features:

• Document Title: Emlak Vergisine Mahsus Tezkere (Certificate for Property Tax)

• Taxpayer: Yuvan Oğlu Hurezman

• Location: Rum Mahallesi, Samsun Kazası, Canik Livası, Trabzon Vilayeti, Ottoman Empire

• Date: 1311, approximately 1895

• Document Type: Ottoman property tax certificate

• Tax Details: Recorded total of 13 kuruş and 20 para, including a contribution to the fortification fund (İstihkâm İanesi)

• Property Categories: Land (arazi) and property valuation record (tezkire-i esmani)

• Languages and Inscriptions: Ottoman Turkish and Greek handwriting; signature possibly reading “Ιωάννης” (Ioannis)

• Additional Features: Stamp and revenue stamp

• Historical Context: Ottoman property taxation and the Greek community of Samsun