Ottoman Tax Receipt 1920 Armenian Merchant Pickle Shop İstanbul Aksaray Armenia Notification

Ottoman Tax Notification (İcarat ve Mukātaat Tebliğnâmesi) 1336 (1920)

Description:
An Ottoman tax notification (İcarat ve Mukātaat ve Vakfiye Medyunlarına Deyinlerinin Mikdârına ve Suret-i İtirazlarına Dair Tebliğnâme) issued in 1336 (1920) for the Armenian-owned pickle shop (turşucu dükkânı) located at No. 48, Bayazid Ağa, Aksaray (Istanbul). The document, stamped and sealed, details the breakdown of a financial obligation:

• Total debt: 838 kuruş 5 para

• Deferred portion (tecil olunan kısım): 162 kuruş

• Paid portion: 676 kuruş 5 para

This notification was issued  Armenian Ottoman citizen, the same individual associated with other surviving tax receipts from this property. Together, these documents form a continuous record of payments for the same Aksaray shop, evidencing the long-standing commercial activity of Istanbul’s Armenian artisan and merchant community.

The area of Aksaray, located within the historic Beyazıt district, was one of the most ethnically diverse commercial quarters of late Ottoman Istanbul. Following the city’s 19th-century urban growth, Armenian, Greek, and Jewish tradesmen were encouraged to establish shops and workshops near the Yenikapı port and customs area, revitalizing trade and industry. The existence of a registered Armenian-owned shop here underscores the integration and economic participation of non-Muslim Ottomans in the city’s daily life and tax system.

Key Features:

• Date: 1336 (1920)

• Location: Bayazid Ağa, Aksaray (Istanbul)

• Shop number: 48 (pickle shop / turşucu dükkanı)

• Taxpayer: Armenian Ottoman citizen

• Document type: İcarat ve Mukātaat ve Vakfiye Medyunlarına Dair Tebliğname (Tax notification for debts and payments)

• Total debt: 838 kuruş 5 para

• Deferred portion: 162 kuruş

• Paid portion: 676 kuruş 5 para

• Language: Ottoman Turkish

• Features: Official stamp and seal

• Historical significance:

  • Continuation of records from the same Aksaray pickle shop, illustrating consistent tax compliance.

  • Highlights the active role of Armenian entrepreneurs in late Ottoman Istanbul’s commercial ecosystem.

  • Provides context on the fiscal and bureaucratic systems of the empire in its final decade, especially in mixed urban centers like Aksaray–Beyazıt, known for their Armenian and Greek merchant presence.