Ottoman Real Estate Tax Document 1895 Samsun Rum Quarter Greek Citizen 1

Ottoman Real Estate Tax Document (Emlak Vergisine Mahsus Tezkere)
Trabzon Vilayeti, Canik Livası, Samsun Kazası, Rum Mahallesi 1311 (1895)

Description:
An original Ottoman Real Estate Tax Certificate issued in 1311 (1895) for the Rum Mahallesi (Greek Quarter) of Samsun, within the Canik district of Trabzon Province. The document records the tax payment made by Telli oğlu Tanas Efendi, a Greek Ottoman citizen, illustrating the presence and civic participation of the local Greek population in the region.

The certificate itemizes several property categories: müsakkafat (income-generating buildings such as houses and shops), arazi (land), and tezkire-i esmani (property value record). For these, Tanas Efendi paid a total of 898 kuruş and 30 para, including 15 kuruş 10 para as a contribution to the Erzurum fortification fund (Erzurum İstihkâm İanesi).

The document is stamped with an Ottoman fiscal seal, and notably, above the tax stamp appears a handwritten Greek signature Ιωάννης (Ioannis) likely that of a local official or taxpayer, making it a rare bilingual artifact that reflects the coexistence of ethnic and religious communities in late Ottoman society.

Key Features:

• Date: 1311 (1895)
• Origin: Trabzon Vilayet, Canik Livası, Samsun Kazası, Rum Mahallesi
• Language: Ottoman Turkish with Greek signature
• Taxpayer: Telli oğlu Tanas Efendi (Greek Ottoman citizen)
• Property types listed: Müsakkafat, Arazi, Tezkire-i Esmani
• Total payment: 898 kuruş 30 para (including Erzurum fortification fund)
• Contains Ottoman fiscal stamp and handwritten Greek signature “Ιωάννης (Ioannis)”
• Rare surviving evidence of the Greek community’s administrative and economic integration within the Ottoman Empire