Ottoman Tax Receipt 1914 Evliyazade Family İzmir Refik Bey Sabbatean Jews Mayor

Ottoman Property Tax Receipt - Evliyazade Family, İzmir 1330 (1914)

Description:
An Ottoman tax certificate titled “Tezkire Mahsus Vergilere Doğrudan Doğruya Tahsil Olunan” (“Certificate for Directly Collected Taxes”), issued in the Aydın Province, İzmir District, for the Hatuniye neighborhood, Evliyazade quarter. The taxpayer is Evliyazade Refik Bey bin Hacı Mehmed Efendi, a member of one of İzmir’s most prominent and historically significant families.

The document records a payment of 195 kuruş and 20 para for the Müsakafat (Property) Tax, dated 27 Eylül 1330 (10 October 1914). The receipt bears both official signature and seal, confirming its authenticity.

This tax receipt carries remarkable historical value, as it is directly related to the Evliyazade family, one of İzmir’s most notable Sabbatean (Dönmeh) families. The Dönmeh were Sabbatean crypto-Jews in the Ottoman Empire who outwardly converted to Islam but retained their Jewish faith and Kabbalistic traditions in secret.

The family patriarch, Evliyazade Hacı Mehmed Efendi (1822–1898), was a prominent local administrator and businessman during the late Ottoman era. He served as the Mayor of İzmir first briefly in 1875, and later between 1892 and 1895. His son, Evliyazade Refik Bey, followed in his footsteps and also served as the Mayor of İzmir during World War I illustrating the family’s enduring civic and political influence in the city.

The Evliyazade family name derives from Evliya Bey, and the lineage includes figures deeply intertwined with modern Turkish history.

• Refik Bey’s daughter married Dr. Nazım, one of the leading members of the Committee of Union and Progress (İttihat ve Terakki).

• Makbule Hanım’s daughter married Fatin Rüştü Zorlu, a prominent diplomat and politician.

• Naciye Hanım’s daughter married Adnan Menderes, who became Prime Minister of Turkey (1950–1960).

Tragically, all three sons-in-law met similar fates:

• Dr. Nazım was executed in 1926 for his alleged role in the İzmir assassination attempt.

• Fatin Rüştü Zorlu and Adnan Menderes were executed following the 1960 military coup.

Thus, this 1914 Ottoman tax certificate not only reflects the fiscal structure and taxation practices of the late Ottoman Empire, but also stands as a tangible link to one of İzmir’s most influential families, whose members helped shape the city’s municipal, economic, and political history across the late Ottoman and early Republican periods.

Key Features:

• Date: 27 Eylül 1330 (10 October 1914)

• Province: Aydın Vilayeti

• District: İzmir Livası, İzmir Kazası

• Neighborhood: Hatuniye Mahallesi, Evliyazade Quarter

• Taxpayer: Evliyazade Refik Bey bin Hacı Mehmed Efendi

• Tax Type: Müsakafat (Property Tax)

• Amount: 195 kuruş 20 para

• Language: Ottoman Turkish

• Features: Signed and sealed

• Historical Significance:

  • Belonged to the Evliyazade family, a leading Sabbatean (Dönmeh) lineage in İzmir.

  • Connected to Evliyazade Hacı Mehmed Efendi (1822–1898), Mayor of İzmir in 1875 and 1892–1895.

  • His son, Evliyazade Refik Bey, also served as Mayor of İzmir during World War I.

  • Demonstrates the continuity of elite family networks and their civic roles from the late Ottoman Empire into the early Turkish Republic.

  • Provides a direct link to the family ties of Dr. Nazım, Fatin Rüştü Zorlu, and Adnan Menderes — figures central to 20th-century Turkish history.